tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76132546960764046742024-03-12T22:03:33.490+00:00My Learning JourneyThinking out aloud, reflecting and sharing thoughts about my teaching. @davidfawcett27D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-89400867811032215772020-04-10T19:58:00.001+01:002020-04-10T19:58:27.777+01:00Relearning to Teach - What's been happening<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So since the release of my book Relearning to Teach back in October/November last year, things have moved on pretty quickly. I've been overwhelmed by the response to its launch and am very proud of how the book is supporting teachers across the country. If you've not read it, and wonder what it's about, here's a very brief and quick summary:</div>
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In essence, its a reflection on the art of teaching. For years I had ploughed through lesson after lesson day after day. Six years in I realised I needed to improve because what my reputation was saying, wasn't reflected in the grades of my students. So I broke down teaching into key principles such as planning, questioning, differentiation and memory. I then spent the next 7 years reading research, implementing it into my classroom, and speaking to like minded teachers began, with it being transferred into my book. I begin each chapter with a question I myself dwelled over, such as:</div>
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• Is lesson planning just a box ticking exercise?</div>
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• Why do students remember in lessons, but forget in tests?</div>
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• Is asking more questions beneficial?</div>
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• Is feedback actually worth it?</div>
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Essentially, the book is a mix of research, practical ideas, and teacher thoughts (thanks to everyone who contributed to the book). It is what I wish I had been told when I began teaching so I didn't squander hundreds, if not thousands, of lessons teaching in an ineffective way. </div>
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So what are people saying about it?</div>
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<b>Schools Week</b></div>
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In February, Schools Week reviewed my book and gave it 4 stars. The headline quote <i>"I wasn’t convinced that this one was going to provide anything that hasn’t been said before. I was wrong." </i>was fantastic. Other quotes from the review included:</div>
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"I was immediately struck by the honesty and integrity with which the book is written. By chapter 2, any scepticism I had previously held melted away and Fawcett had won me over (and not just because of the references to football)."</blockquote>
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"The author begins many of his chapters by explaining where he has made mistakes in his teaching and how he has been “seductively wooed by a plethora of ideas that have no benefit”. This, coupled with his easily accessible style and the use of rhetorical questions as sub-headings, made me feel invited into a conversation with Fawcett to reflect together upon and mull over our respective teaching experiences. In essence, this is what good CPD should be all about."</blockquote>
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"Throughout the book, Fawcett tackles myths head on and offers a very balanced and pragmatic view of teaching today. A number of recent conversations have convinced me that there is a general feeling that teacher voice and feedback on the efficacy of certain approaches is all too readily dismissed as anecdote. So it is particularly refreshing that, amongst the references to research (of which there are many), Relearning to teach is interspersed with views from current practising teachers sharing their thoughts and experiences from the coalface. This authenticity is sorely missing from much that the Edubook genre has to offer."</blockquote>
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If you want to read the rest of the amazing review, please follow the link here: <a href="https://schoolsweek.co.uk/relearning-to-teach-understanding-the-principles-of-great-teaching/">https://schoolsweek.co.uk/relearning-to-teach-understanding-the-principles-of-great-teaching/</a><br />
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<b>Becoming Educated</b><br />
February also saw me being interviewed by Darren Leslie for the Becoming Educated Podcast. In this episode, Darren asks me about the origins of the book, the various chapters within it, and what we can do to help develop teaching and learning. So far the response has been positive:<br />
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"Really enjoyed this by @dnleslie this evening driving home. Fantastic discourse with @davidfawcett27 around professional development. David’s humility is inspirational"</blockquote>
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You can listen to/download the Podcast on the following platforms here:<br />
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Spotify <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/5mOjuZ3QUvNkI4ewHrIeBm">https://open.spotify.com/episode/5mOjuZ3QUvNkI4ewHrIeBm</a><br />
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Apple Podcasts <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/relearning-to-teach-with-david-fawcett/id1493757771?i=1000466492664">https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/relearning-to-teach-with-david-fawcett/id1493757771?i=1000466492664</a><br />
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<b>ICT Evangelist</b><br />
Mark Anderson, better known as the ICT Evangelist, created 'The Periodic Table Of Educational Books To Read Today 2020', showcasing 82 books that Mark has read and found to be of value to education and teaching. I am very proud to be on this list under 'Teaching and Learning'. A copy of the table can be found on the link below:<br />
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<a href="https://ictevangelist.com/the-periodic-table-of-educational-books-to-read-today-2020/">https://ictevangelist.com/the-periodic-table-of-educational-books-to-read-today-2020/</a><br />
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<b>Amazon</b><br />
The book is available to buy on Amazon via the following link:<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1138213861/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Xl2yEbC3M1WAK">https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1138213861/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Xl2yEbC3M1WAK</a><br />
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You can also buy it direct from Routledge here:<br />
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<a href="https://www.routledge.com/Relearning-to-Teach-Understanding-the-Principles-of-Great-Teaching-1st/Fawcett/p/book/9781138213869">https://www.routledge.com/Relearning-to-Teach-Understanding-the-Principles-of-Great-Teaching-1st/Fawcett/p/book/9781138213869</a><br />
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I hope you get a copy and leave a review, either on Amazon, or in the comments below.<br />
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Enjoy<br />
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David<br />
<br />D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-69142645326393278552019-09-29T21:18:00.001+01:002019-09-29T21:18:18.921+01:00Relearning to Teach - Why I've been quiet on this blog for a while<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few years ago, I was approached to write a book for Routledge based on the musings and reflections from this blog. Nearly two years later, I've finally got it ready to be released.<br />
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The book is a look at how in the early stages of my career, I was led to believe that I was a good teacher. Not because I was, but because I had created an image that I thought I was. Armed with a wealth of ideas, I would help colleagues and share resources left, right and centre. However, there was a problem. Although it was the perception that I was a good teacher, all of the data suggested that I was distinctly average. All that I seemed to share, didn't really have much impact.<br />
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As a result I decided to immerse myself in research and journals to effectively 'reteach' myself how to teach. Picking off one T&L aspect at a time, I worked out what I was doing wrong, what I potentially should be doing better, and went about trying to refine my craft. So in 2013 I began blogging about what I'd learnt about principles such as questioning, feedback, planning, cognitive science and differentiation.<br />
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Relearning to Teach is a greater exploration of this period in my career. It picks off one T&L area at a time, debunks the myths, shares the research, offers practical advice, and shares the views of other teachers from around the world who have had similar journeys as myself. It's aim is to tackle each T&L area in turn, and offer a few principles that you might want to try if you want to get better at it. It aims to open up your eyes to research and spark your interest in learning about what might work yourself. All in all it's an open an honest book, with views from numerous teachers, researchers and journals, about how a few tweaks here and there could have a bigger impact in your classroom. It's a starting point, not the complete article. As with all things research, some of it may be debunked a few years down the line. But what it offers is a genuine starting point for any teacher at any stage in their career on how to reflect and make changes to how they teach.<br />
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The book is out on Friday 4th October 2019 from Routledge or other good book sellers. I hope you find it useful!<br />
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Buy it here from <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Relearning-to-Teach-Understanding-the-Principles-of-Great-Teaching-1st/Fawcett/p/book/9781138213869" target="_blank">Routledge</a>, or here from <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Relearning-Teach-Understanding-Principles-Teaching/dp/1138213861" target="_blank">Amazon</a>.<br />
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<br />D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-52780675950044459012016-08-09T15:02:00.002+01:002016-08-09T15:05:38.097+01:00Help - A teacher (and author) in need!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Earlier this year I was asked to write a book about teaching and learning titled 'Relearning to teach'. Based around my '<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Can%20I%20Be%20Better%3F" target="_blank">Can I be better?</a>' posts, the book talks about how we can make small changes to fundamental areas such as planning, questioning, feedback, differentiation, use of data and so on. It is a book that aims to help teachers see that they can make small changes to their practice and has a wealth of information, sources, evidence and stories. <br />
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There is a problem though. Over the past 10 years I used the extremely good staff library at my last school. The library was built up over time and had numerous T&L books in it. I was awash with a wealth of books, literature, guides and research. I was lucky in the fact that I rarely had to buy a book because they were on my door stop every day.<br />
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I have now moved to a new school and have hit a sticking point. I need to track down a number of teaching and learning books that I have used over the last few years. I clearly can't purchase them all in one go so am looking at calling in a few favours. I am in need of the following books. Using the powerful network of teachers on social media, I actually need to <b>borrow</b> these books for a few months. I know this is a big ask and a cheeky one at that, but, I need to go back and revisit some of the things that shaped my thinking and made the chunk of my blog posts over the years.<br />
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If you can help, here is the list of books that I am trying to <b>borrow</b> from kind individuals. If it helps, I am in London on the 15th August and am willing to travel around to collect these. I can't offer money but I might be able to squeeze a slab of chocolate upon the books return (which I promise I will do!!). So, if you have the following, and are local to Southampton, in London on the 15th or are just kind enough to post a book to me, I would really appreciate your help.<br />
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'Practice Perfect' by Doug Lemov, Erica Woolway and Katie Yezzi<br />
INSIDE THE BLACK BOX: Raising Standards Through Classroom (Dylan WIliam)<br />
Made to Stick: Why some ideas take hold and others come unstuck (Chip and Dan Heath)<br />
'Teach like a Champion' by Doug Lemov (any edition)<br />
What If Everything You Knew About Education Was Wrong? (by David Didau)<br />
'Mindset: How You Can Fulfill Your Potential': Carol S. Dweck<br />
'Bounce' by Matthew Syed<br />
Lean Lesson Planning: A practical approach to doing less and achieving more in the classroom (High Impact Teaching) (Peps Mcrea)<br />
'An ethic of excellence' by Ron Berger<br />
Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn (Hattie and Yates)<br />
'Full On Learning: Involve Me and I'll Understand'. Zoe Elder<br />
'Visible Learning for Teachers' - John Hattie<br />
'Understanding by Design' - Mctighe and Wiggins<br />
'Embedded Formative Assessment' - Dylan Wiliam<br />
'Why students don't like school' by Daniel Willingham<br />
'Hidden Lives of Learners' by Graham Nuthall<br />
'How to Teach' by Phil Beadle<br />
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Believe it or not, I do have a shelf full of books! If you have any of these though and can help in anyway, please get in contact via Twitter. I can be found at <a href="https://twitter.com/davidfawcett27" target="_blank">@davidfawcett27</a><br />
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Here's hoping!<br />
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#relearningbook<br />
<br />D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-48808239442869124072016-02-19T15:31:00.000+00:002016-02-19T15:33:30.966+00:00Can I be that little bit better at......using simple strategies to make content stick?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of Coffeeforcollege</td></tr>
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I've been quiet on Twitter and my personal blog for a few months. This has mainly come down to taking on a new job mid way through an academic year. With all of the new systems, syllabus, schemes of work, policies and specifications to get your head round, picking up new classes (who have already had a previous teacher a few weeks earlier) has to be the most difficult bit. <br />
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One of these classes is a Year 11 GCSE PE theory class who will be sitting their final exam in a few months time. Take out mocks, the Easter holidays, INSET days and study leave, there isn't as much time as I would like to implement strategies to move students grades an enormous amount. With sections of coursework to finish up before moving onto revision, I needed to develop a programme that could pool together strategies that make that time as effective as possible when it begins.<br />
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With the group already studying the course since Year 9, and available data not shedding much light on students gaps in knowledge, it becomes difficult to plan interventions until another test, assessment or mock exam takes place. Only at that stage can I begin to gauge in a more detailed way what my students do or do not know.<br />
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<b>Making every second count</b><br />
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If you're not careful, in this situation you can lose (or even waste) time. You can become so hooked up on trying to ascertain what students have done, what they have learnt, what areas of technique need work, what their use of language is like, that you actually let time slip away. Ideally you would have taught the group for longer, had all assessments available, had a chance to chat to every student, see their books and scrutinise them all in an effort to help build up a bigger picture. Unfortunately, mid term with a few months to go, you might need to build this into the process.<br />
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Lessons therefore need to maximise all available time. They need to help me check understanding, identify weakness and allow them to close the gaps in knowledge. They need to allow me an opportunity to work on technique and develop language use and structure. They need to provide opportunities to hammer home the key messages about effective revision and the various methods. In this short time I therefore need to get that little bit better at using simple strategies to make what I cover in the next few months actually stick.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Retrieval practice and 'Do now' tasks</td></tr>
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<b>Cumulative bell work and 'Do now tasks'</b><br />
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With time so precious, every lesson immediately begins with a cumulative task in the format of 'Bell work' or if you've read TLaC a '<a href="http://teachlikeachampion.com/tag/do-now/" target="_blank">Do now</a>' task. Students are expected to silently and individually undertake a low stakes retrieval activity which last a maximum of five minutes. The answers are then reviewed in two minutes with answers displayed on the board for all to check. The process may look time heavy, but there is an urgent need to identify misconceptions and weaknesses in students' knowledge. There is also the importance of using retrieval practice to improve memory and learning. The task itself becomes both diagnostic and a revision process in itself.<br />
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<b>Retrieval practice</b><br />
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Every lesson builds in a form of retrieval practice. The importance of the testing effect and the subsequent improvement of retrieval and storage strength is without question. The retrieval practice allows students to forcibly retrieve knowledge and promote thinking. I've written about the benefits of it <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/can-i-be-that-little-better-atusing.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Now the key here is to use low stakes tests. With many schools having numerous mocks, exams, end of unit assessments, it's important to demonstrate that testing can actually be beneficial to the students and extremely effective. With the pressures of these high stakes tests, there is the worry that more of the same only adds to the stress levels of students. One of the most effective ways that I have implemented low stakes tests is through the use of multiple choice questions.<br />
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<b>Well designed multiple choice questions</b><br />
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Every other lesson, students complete a 10 question cumulative multiple choice paper. They do this individually so that I can use the results to identify areas of weakness. There has been a change of <a href="http://www.natre.org.uk/uploads/Free%20Resources/multiple%20choice%20questions%20B%20Wood%20v2.pdf" target="_blank">opinion</a> recently over the effectiveness of multiple choice questions. The work of <a href="http://bjorklab.psych.ucla.edu/pubs/Little_EBjork_RBjork_Angello_2012.pdf" target="_blank">Robert Bjork</a> and colleagues has highlighted that well designed multiple choice questions not only provides a good diagnostic tool, but actually helps improve memory and retrieval. The key though is to ensure that the potential options for the answers are rigorous, plausible and in close proximity to the correct one. Making them to easy has low cognitive effect and loses any benefit of the method. Having too few potential answers can make it a 50/50 guessing game rather than an exploration of what the correct answer might be through the process of elimination (and using what you know to do that). To take this a step further, including an 'I don't know' option at the end of each one can eliminate those that hazard a guess and get it correct which can lead to misconceptions being un-diagnosed.<br />
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Designing high quality multiple choice questions can be extremely difficult but resources such as AQA's Exampro, Pearson's Exam Wizard or other diagnostic questioning tools can help achieve rigor whilst saving teachers time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elaboration in multiple choice questions</td></tr>
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<b>Elaborative interrogation</b><br />
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Prompting students to ask '<b>why</b>' questions is beneficial to memory retention. As this <a href="http://tguilfoyle.cmswiki.wikispaces.net/file/view/What_works,_What_doesn't.pdf" target="_blank">guide</a> from Dunlosky <i>et al</i> (2013) points out, the process of getting students to explain (or ask) <b>why</b> can actually help facilitate learning. Combined with multiple choice quizzes, in the time allocated, students not only have to select the correct answers, but they are also expected to provide a supporting statement explaining why it is the right answer (or maybe why the others are incorrect). This subtle change to how students answer these types of quizzes helps students retrieve the correct answer, strengthen its storage in memory, make it more accessible in future and help demonstrate whether they know the topic or not. It's such a simple tweak that has really benefited the individuals in the class.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WgXMmFfjJAfpf8NmN65OTO0XQ3fDCXxGmSRmSfLGuGSlhWpS8TDar5JPVKMphOobQGA1RNR5PxWEwykjHWd4K0vhj7bHGvZ8FEFBXMvPt41JXGoyZrpn723HGs-ALf__A7Ye-BJVluKz/s1600/Notes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WgXMmFfjJAfpf8NmN65OTO0XQ3fDCXxGmSRmSfLGuGSlhWpS8TDar5JPVKMphOobQGA1RNR5PxWEwykjHWd4K0vhj7bHGvZ8FEFBXMvPt41JXGoyZrpn723HGs-ALf__A7Ye-BJVluKz/s320/Notes.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Criteria for note taking from J. Fenlon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Closing the gaps through effective notes</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Lessons are not just about testing, quizzing or retrieving. It's important that once a misconception or area of weakness has been identified, we collaboratively work on closing that gap in knowledge. In lessons we have rolled out a gateway method of how to take notes when making revision resources. As teachers we demonstrate this to students in the hope that they mirror some of these actions and form them into habits.<br />
<br />
In the past I have been very skeptical about how students make notes. Many simply copy out of books. Many write texts word for word. Some bullet point, highlight, short hand, annotate.....the list goes on. My worry though is that students therefore <a href="http://teachingandlearning.org.uk/2014/12/03/re-reading-isnt-the-same-as-revision/" target="_blank">re-read</a> these notes and mistake this for effective revision. As we know, whilst re-reading provides familiarity and a false sense that they remember information, it's ability to be retained over time is low and forgetting quickly occurs. Cramming notes the night before is therefore unhelpful. <br />
<br />
We now need to take the view that if students are making notes, they need to be able to do something with them. Preferably, this something involves using the notes to test or quiz themselves. We now use the above criteria from <a href="http://www.bcssharingpractice.co.uk/index.php/planning-for-memory-revision-afternoon-inset-2/" target="_blank">John Fenlon</a> to ensure that notes incorporate chunking, thinking and allow them to be easily used for retrieval practice. Simple ideas such as splitting topics into chunks and then numbering them allows the working memory to not be overloaded. It also helps us say "What were the 6 points about somatotypes and physique that I need to know". Numbering allows us to check off points and work out what were, for instance, the three things I didn't remember (before testing myself on them again). The messages that we try to instill through this method can then be transferred into other revision resources and become effective habits.<br />
<br />
<b>Will it work?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
The theory behind the execution draws upon sound research. The signs should be there that this will (in the short term) help until a better grip on what students do or do not know becomes apparent. As always, the delivery and implementation in lessons can be the stumbling block. Am I transferring these principles into practice correctly? Am I using them as intended? Only a final mock, unit test and final exam can actually say if it did or not.D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-49367300237209369562015-04-22T12:53:00.005+01:002015-04-22T20:27:08.364+01:00Can I be that little bit better at.....understanding that how they say it, is as important as what they say?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyj-UHx8yjbkWz55QK7NWKOW6dffWClqBb-iwj9CRcrZJNLTeH5TQZ2vH4LvbS9lQI1iuTpDiRWx4w2hcCLDHdnZFUb0LqrfN9K8h4spp4RfMWzCIrMMDTXQzH2MUlWkq_nE9JkYED3A_/s1600/Questions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyj-UHx8yjbkWz55QK7NWKOW6dffWClqBb-iwj9CRcrZJNLTeH5TQZ2vH4LvbS9lQI1iuTpDiRWx4w2hcCLDHdnZFUb0LqrfN9K8h4spp4RfMWzCIrMMDTXQzH2MUlWkq_nE9JkYED3A_/s1600/Questions.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;">c/o Wonderlane</td></tr>
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Over the years I have been in many colleagues classrooms. As is part of the observation process, you focus on a number of things, ponder on what you see and generate discussion afterwards. Everything you do is focused on moving the teacher forward in order to have better outcomes for the students they teach. Most of the time I am asked in to focus on specific elements of teaching which colleagues wish to improve. Feedback, planning, ways to differentiate and developing student writing are just a few. One area in particular, questioning, has made me rethink what I thought I knew.<br />
<br />
I wrote a couple of posts last year about the <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">complexities of good questioning</a> and what might actually make this fundamental component of a teachers <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better_5.html" target="_blank">repertoire effective</a>. Although I'd never say I am anywhere near an expert of good questioning, I would say I have a pretty good grasp of it in my lessons. However, a curious thought popped into my head whilst chatting to a member of our focus group a few terms back about what we observe when watching teachers pose questions. I had been wooed under the illusion that a teacher who can skillfully pose questions that unpick, dissect, delve or expand on an element of knowledge must be a master craftsman. The well worded question that simultaneously causes a student's head to hurt whilst still providing scope for an answer to be found is a thing to behold. All hail thee, who when being observed, both stretch and challenge students through well designed questions. And that there maybe the problem.<br />
<br />
A lot of the time, the skill of questioning focuses on developing what or how the teacher poses the question. We work with teachers to craft better questions. We look at how we word a well designed question. We use a variety of techniques to increase student response or even deploy techniques like 'wait time' to ensure an answer can be provided. But what about the quality of the answer?<br />
<br />
Having done a lot of work on our school's feedback policy, we focus a lot on the quality of written work that students produced. And why wouldn't we? It's easy to look through a book, read an answer and be able to analyse the quality of it and even suggest improvements. Here's a question though. When looking through an exercise book, what would you think if a student provided this written answer to the following question?:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_asRYcgTFP1hKNPOAVylAvbJrWf5u8-GglfbTjHv4v9BufC25Sm64_risKd9RK1_9rP7oU_KFyopF3A2SMevMFSQwXgrEB2NwExgGB_2NjK8YOrNvXxg-_IYdrBj8n-b4jyHAGE0cvfaj/s1600/Question+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_asRYcgTFP1hKNPOAVylAvbJrWf5u8-GglfbTjHv4v9BufC25Sm64_risKd9RK1_9rP7oU_KFyopF3A2SMevMFSQwXgrEB2NwExgGB_2NjK8YOrNvXxg-_IYdrBj8n-b4jyHAGE0cvfaj/s1600/Question+2.png" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
Instantly many of you might be focusing on the overuse of the word 'like', the vagueness of the content, or even the weak example. When written down it is easy to analyse, correct or challenge. As a teacher I can mark their books and provide feedback to improve the depth of their answer. As an observer I can check books and question students to see if this happens over the year. We spend a lot of our time and focus on what students write that maybe we've forgotten about what they say? For instance, if the same answer was given <b><i>verbally</i></b>, would we scrutinise it so intently and in as much depth? Or, might it go something like this?<br />
<br />
<i>Teacher: So, we've been looking at the various aspects and methods of training, can anyone explain, using an example, what altitude training is?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Teacher: [Deploys wait time and uses a no hands up technique for selecting]</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Teacher: Josh, what do you think?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Josh: Well, it's sort of like, when a runner like goes running up high, you know, like a mountain, to get their body systems and their blood cells better.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Teacher: Nearly Josh. You've got the basic idea. What Josh is saying is an athlete might train.....</i><br />
<br />
Or how about this?:<br />
<br />
<i>Teacher: So, we've been looking at the various aspects and methods of training, can anyone explain, using an example, what altitude training is? Emma, what do you think?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Emma: Umm, I'm not sure?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Teacher: Ok, anyone else? Josh?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Josh: Well, it's sort of like, when a runner like goes running up high, you know, like a mountain, to get their body systems and their blood cells better.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Teacher: Sort of. Can you add to it?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Josh: Umm, well, don't they have to train at altitude for a few weeks or months and then come back to their normal home and compete?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Teacher: Yes Josh. It's to do with the fact they go away at altitude for training and then.....</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Both versions might seem either very common or a million miles away from what you do in your classrooms. The problem with these is that it's the kind of avenue I would take after an answer was given. I know it's not technically correct, but I focus on the content technicalities rather than the quality of the language used. The first example results in me producing the better answer for the student myself. I've ultimately done the improvement for them. The second results in me trying to develop it but instead I take an answer which is a new question. Have I therefore tackled the inaccuracies of language use? Have I made the answer more academic? No.<br />
<br />
So, back to my earlier ramblings, here is that curious thought that popped into my head when chatting to a colleague in a focus group and it all stemmed from him saying:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"If students can't give high quality verbal answers, will they be able to give high quality written ones?"</blockquote>
<br />
I'm not sure. When observing others I know I focus on teacher questions but I'm not sure I've specifically focused on the quality of student answers and that direct link. Have I missed an important component? I do know that in my own teaching I don't tackle low quality verbal answers anywhere as near as I do with low quality written ones. And that's what needed to change. In the frantic hustle and bustle of a lesson, do we have the time, the confidence and the environment to challenge answers like this? Or do we do what I highlighted before and do this for them and correct it ourselves?<br />
<br />
So what could we do?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxYJFVwcEQ09Y1xfX0AvCgLXl8mcZUXIjNhznH8Ib9TIKEbQ_8ZCo5mk6B8j1Bu7YToeoc5MDmFLN0T_GfjQerhJsTGugZ3BaLfhfE0O7Vl7o-_a2eHWEGYguFTFnTaU06XOSVryoCsub/s1600/Question+the+answer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxYJFVwcEQ09Y1xfX0AvCgLXl8mcZUXIjNhznH8Ib9TIKEbQ_8ZCo5mk6B8j1Bu7YToeoc5MDmFLN0T_GfjQerhJsTGugZ3BaLfhfE0O7Vl7o-_a2eHWEGYguFTFnTaU06XOSVryoCsub/s1600/Question+the+answer.jpg" height="237" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h4>
<b>Be aware of it</b></h4>
There can be no simpler piece of advice than simply be aware of it. Be reflective as you teach and identify times when you pose questions. What was the quality of the answer? What exactly did the student say? What was the language use like? How was the strength of their communication skills? Where they able to eloquently explain their thoughts? Did they use high vocabulary or specific terminology? These are just some things to be reflective of and clearly not exhaustive. Once you know when these moments happen and you pay more attention to the response, then you can begin to change the habits of both yourself and your students.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Identify a link?</h4>
<div>
Are those students who provide poorly constructed verbal answers the same ones who produce poorly worded written ones? It's something of interest that I'll be looking at.</div>
<br />
<h4>
<b>Create that culture that we will improve it</b></h4>
Changing students written work can be a very private and safe process. A student makes an error or misconception and you can provide feedback in their books. If a student doesn't use language of a high standard as you might want, you can make a note of it or write down some suggestions. In a book these are read by the student without the focus of peers and other observers.<br />
<br />
Apply the same process in an open class discussion and all of a sudden pressure, unease and anxiety may overcome a student. The fear of being openly critiqued on the quality of their spoken answer can be a daunting one for many. It's therefore important that you build the culture of your group that highlights that this public dissection is not an attack on them but is instead a process to help improve the quality of their communication. Highlight why you're doing it and the benefits of doing it. Choose confident individuals to begin using the process. Build it up using a random selection process for getting answers. Model the improvement. Explain why suggested changes will create a better and more academic answer. Involve the class and make it as supportive, and challenging, as possible. Ensure that the class realise that with support, the intial answer has been developed into something much better. Culture takes time to build but once it is there, challenge the quality of answers continuously. <br />
<br />
<h4>
Have the confidence to actually improve it</h4>
From a teachers perspective, it can be a daunting task actually developing students answers. There is the worry that suggestions you pose may be taken as a blow to their self-esteem. The challenge of trying to improve an answer from a student who displays little interest or effort. The worry of how peers may react. The confidence to actually challenge and set high expectations. It can be daunting but we need to remember that we don't do it to display our power or ridicule. Instead we do it to help students develop their ability to communicate in a high quality way.<br />
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<h4>
Focus on how they say it, not just what they say</h4>
Being subject specialists it is easy to be drawn to the content element of an answer. Are they talking about the correct definition when we ask them? Is that a strong enough example to support their thinking? Have they pulled out a relevant quotation or piece of evidence? As well as doing that, focus on how they say it, exactly as we would in a written version. Have they got a powerful opening to their argument? Have they used quality connectives that pull together parts of a statement? Do they use an unnecessary amount of redundant words that we can ask them to remove? Highlight what they have said. Point out areas of improvement. Get peer support of alternative words. Question them about how they should make improvements.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Use questioning techniques</h4>
If a student is unaware of how to construct a good verbal answer then they aren't going to produce one repeatedly. Speaking at a high level requires time, practice, guidance and thought, Techniques as simple as <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better_5.html" target="_blank">wait time</a> allow individuals to construct better answers before they share them. Using <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better_5.html" target="_blank">ABC questioning</a> allows you to build an answer as a class. <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better_5.html" target="_blank">Modelling </a>what a good answer looks like provides examples of excellence. <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better_5.html" target="_blank">Snowballing</a> allows students to build up the quality of their answer with a group of peers. If high quality verbal answers are going to be the norm, then scaffolding the process is going to be required.<br />
<br />
Now this post may be making a bigger deal out of student answers than needs to be? It may actually resonate with a lot of people and be something more common that first thought. The idea though that settling for poorly constructed answers does bother me in my own practice. If I want individuals to communicate in an academic way, whether in written or verbal format, I need to ensure that I help them achieve that.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Further reading:</b><br />
<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">Questioning my questioning</a><br />
<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better_5.html" target="_blank">Asking better questions</a><br />
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<br />D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-8188278361589779672015-03-03T22:27:00.002+00:002015-03-04T11:31:05.690+00:00Can I be that little bit better at......wrestling with the intervention lesson monster?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
As the nights drew in over the winter term, a number of lights came on in classrooms after the school day had finished. Across the country in numerous secondary schools, teachers began to run Year 11 'intervention' sessions in the build up to final exams. Many of these included revision lessons, coursework catch up sessions, additional reteach sessions or specific intervention groups. The vast majority of them are invaluable additions to the schools curriculum and offer opportunities for various students who need that extra support. In fact some of these are vital in helping a specific few leave school with an education that will set them up for life. Teachers work tirelessly with individuals and some may say that massive gains are made. There are however some worries that have begun to crop up.<br />
<br />
I'm in a very fortunate position to be able to network and even work with numerous teachers and departments across the country. One thing that has come up quite often of late is the following scenario.<br />
<br />
A teacher plans a very well designed lesson which asks students to learn new content and then add this new knowledge to a piece of coursework/extended writing. The task is set and students begin to get down to work. As the teacher moves around the class, she notices that a few of the individuals have completed very little work. As is expected, the teacher challenges this position and is met by the answer:<br />
<br />
"It's OK Miss, I'll do it in catch up class after school on Thursday"<br />
<br />
On the face of this there are two main problems. The first is obvious in the fact that a student is producing minimal work within a lesson. That can be common within the classroom and can be easily responded to. The second is the fact that a student is choosing to do minimal work in timetabled lessons, simply to do this work in additional support sessions. Is this right? Has the balance of what timetabled lessons are for suddenly shifted?<br />
<br />
The point I am therefore pondering (and am yet undecided upon) is whether intervention and catch up sessions have become a problem? Are the provisions, all with the right intentions, actually causing some students to do less work in class and rely more heavily on time outside the lesson? Is a culture cropping up that were not aware of?<br />
<br />
<h4>
Are we replacing what helps with other stuff?</h4>
<div>
Revision sessions and support groups for specific students are an extremely helpful option. But have other 'catch up' sessions crept into this category? Are sessions now being put on and teachers time being used to help those who have chosen not to do the work previously in lessons? And if so, is this rewarding them?</div>
<div>
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<br /></div>
<h4>
The safety net</h4>
Does the fact that schools run sessions after school give students that additional safety net? Does the presence of them give the message to students that even if you produce minimal work in lessons then there is still time for you to catch up later on? My biggest worry is that it might. If students believe that there is an additional opportunity that they can take, then will they choose at times to take their foot off of the gas?<br />
<br />
<h4>
The decision maker</h4>
<div>
I chatted to a well grounded student today and posed this exact question about additional catch up sessions. They came up with a number of reasons in a balanced way justifying their place, and even their removal, from school. One of the biggest things he said was that the presence of them might be giving students who"can't be bothered" a reason to choose not to do any work. The knowledge that they could catch up at a later date might allow them to pick and choose when they wanted to do anything in actual lesson time. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
The school within a school</h4>
<div>
With the creation of additional sessions after school, are we inadvertently creating two schools. With the school day ending does another one begin?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Are the pressures of teaching being passed onto students?</h4>
<div>
With the increased levels of accountability and pressure for results, do teachers feel that they are required to run these sessions to fulfill target grades? Is this additional pressure being passed onto students and in turn increasing their stress levels?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
The enjoyment of learning</h4>
<div>
With this in mind, is the expectation and requirement of students to attend these sessions actually removing the love of learning? Is the memory of staying most nights after school for most of Year 11 a memory that we want students to leave with?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
A change in balance</h4>
<div>
Are additional sessions shifting the responsibility for students grades from the student and onto the teacher? Does it feel like we have to work harder to get students through their GCSE's?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Teachers workload and stress levels</h4>
<div>
The additional laying out of these types of sessions will ultimately lead to an increased workload. With workload itself being a national talking point, are we laying more pressure on teachers to not only teach their timetabled lessons, but to also teach additional lessons outside of curriculum time?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Is it actually counterproductive?</h4>
<div>
And this is my final thought I'm wrestling with. Because we want the best for our students, and we want to ensure we have the best results possible for our own professional progress, do we feel that we should be doing these sessions? Is that part of the problem though? If they weren't rolled out in schools would students work harder? And that was a point made by a student. If they weren't there they'd have to work more in class. They knew that they would have to knuckle down, learn what was there to be learnt, complete work to the best of their ability and shift the responsibility back to themselves. Because they weren't on offer, they would have to ensure they used curriculum time really well. Without the safety net they felt it would push them to work more in class. So can we be that little bit better at using catch up classes? Maybe so, and here's a few ideas how.</div>
<div>
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<h4>
1. Ensuring catch up sessions aren't just an opportunity to recover what was taught in lessons</h4>
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Because this may convey the message that if they don't listen first time in class, they can listen to it again in our time after school.</div>
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<h4>
2. Stretch, challenge and enrichment</h4>
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Instead of catch up classes, can sessions after school actually go beyond the syllabus? Can we network with local Universities to run master classes to inspire the next graduates? Can we link with specialist providers in our field to show how our subjects are used in industry? Can we bring in experts to share their knowledge and push learning beyond its existing level?</div>
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<h4>
3. Setting a criteria for these sessions</h4>
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There are students who genuinely need this additional support and I don't know any teachers who would want to not provide this. But do we ensure that those who need it get it rather than those who can't be bothered getting a second chance? Could an effort grade or indicator be one option. Students who we know have tried hard, even if they have picked up misconceptions, could be allowed to attend, with those who simply chose to do nothing being asked not to?</div>
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<h4>
4. Removing the need for them?</h4>
<div>
Could the way we design lessons, curriculum's and schemes be reviewed? Could we analyse our teaching and learning? Asking the question why additional sessions are actually needed could lead to some real improvements to the department. Why do we not have the time to deliver the course in lessons? Why isn't the content sticking? Is the delivery of content and the quality of teaching an area best focused on? What tweaks could we implement now so that we manage workload and expectations?</div>
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<h4>
And so.....</h4>
<div>
The truth of the matter is I am still undecided. I probably will be for a very long time. It feels as though they have become a part of a schools culture and removing them may be too much of a shock to the system. And why would you remove them if hardworking students are seeking to improve their grades further? But then again, would removing them and addressing why we might need them solve the problem itself? Might that be the change in culture that our teachers and students actually need?</div>
D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-46821977221307647402014-12-30T11:58:00.001+00:002014-12-30T11:58:32.810+00:00Can I be that little bit better at.....changing the game?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Change is difficult. It's been a running theme throughout this blog that there was a stage in my career back in 2009 where I begun to realise that what I was doing in the classroom probably wasn't as effective as it could have been. Activities were designed before the learning or outcomes were planned. Questions were machine gunned around the room without any care or consideration. Feedback did little to benefit anyone but looked good on book trawls. Differentiation became a logistical observer tick box nightmare and dented our photocopying budget. The problem is though, as a teacher, it is very easy to fall into a routine without realising you've got there. I had all the best intentions in the world to become the best I could be, but after a few years habits take shape. At the 2012 SSAT conference </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dylan Wiliam highlighted this issue by saying:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Currently all teachers slow, and most actually stop, improving after two or three years in the classroom"</blockquote>
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His point was that the environment is so challenging when we start teaching that we are forced to improve. After we sort classroom routines and management strategies our progression begins to plateau and we can sometimes simply coast. He stresses that it takes ten years of deliberate practice to develop expertise in our job. This may be the case but ten years of constant refinement and improvement can be a difficult thing to keep on top of with all of the other tasks that make up the complex job of a teacher. <br />
<br />
Naturally then we begin to develop habits. Many of them are effective in the classroom and define who we are a teachers. Unfortunately, there are habits that could do with refining or tweaking if we are to stay at the top of our game. The thing is though, habits are tough to break. To the annoyance of my wife I bite my nails. It isn't the worst habit in the world but after a bit of reflection (or nagging) I consciously make an effort to reduce it. In fact when I catch myself doing it I make the decision to stop. However, after the two years that Wiliam talks about, do we realise the bad habits that we fall into and can we change them? In his 2014 white paper 'Optimizing Talent: Closing Educational and Social Mobility Gaps Worldwide', Wiliam goes on to talk about the difficulty in changing habits:<br />
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What isn't required is an overhaul of our teaching. We don't need to scrap everything we do and reinvent the way we approach lessons. Not only is that unrealistic, but it is time consuming, incredibly difficult and hard. Instead we need to be more pragmatic and identify key areas and work on them. On the back of a number of low medal returns in track cycling, Team GB/British Cycling didn't throw the programme out of the window and start from scratch. Instead they decided to focus on a few key principles. One of these being that they needed to know more about their opponents than their opponents knew about themselves. After the Athens games they went to every World Cup and World Championships and videoed the opposition and built a massive database which they used to their advantage. It's so simple when you think about it. So how can this apply to us in teaching?<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Great teaching cannot be achieved by following a recipe, but there are some clear pointers in the research to approaches that are most likely to be effective, and to others, sometimes quite popular, that are not. Teachers need to understand why, when and how a particular approach is likely to enhance students' learning and be given time and support to embed it in their practice."</span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Professor Robert Coe from Durham University.</i></span></div>
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If we are going to change the game maybe we need to focus on core components of teaching and understand not just the <i>what </i>of them, but really get to grips with the <i>why </i>and the <i>how</i>. Why is feedback effective? How can we improve the way we approach planning? Why is one particular questioning strategy better than another? Asking questions like this, reflecting on what we do, and then refining our practice is a lot easier than starting from scratch. So what have been the game changers in my own practice over the last few years?<br />
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<h3>
Planning</h3>
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<div>
Planning lessons is an area that has been widely talked about in education. In fact I talked about it <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/can-i-be-that-little-bit-betterat.html" target="_blank">here</a>. How much is too much? How much is too little? Taxonomies or no taxonomies? What makes up an outstanding lesson? If there's one thing that has been highlighted over the years it is that planning is very personal to individual teachers. One persons approach can be completely different to another and we shouldn't be trying too look for the 'magic formula' of what makes a perfect lesson. In fact the varying contexts, school settings and students we work with means that a fantastically planned out lesson for one teacher may not work for another. However, there are some key things that can make planning more effective and more efficient:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Plan collaboratively</b> - As Hattie states in Visible Learning, planning is at its most powerful when teachers work together. Collaborating with others allows ideas to be bounced around, lessons to be critiqued, subject knowledge to be extended and strategies to be shared. Although finding time may prove an issue, it is definitely worth the effort to do so.</li>
<li><b>Keep it simple</b> - Are we spending our time trying to teach too much and actually over-complicating things in lessons. Trying to cram in every detail, every fact, followed by a starter, plenary and a wide range of activities can make a 60 minute lesson look very messy. Try and refine what you teach by identifying the core principles and spend time developing students understanding of them. What are the two or three things that must be learnt so that students can then access subsequent information. How can we share that in a way that is accessible for our students? Focus on this, slow down the time spent on them and remove the messiness. </li>
<li><b>Learning first, then activities</b> - It can be very easy to think of a new activity to hook students in or grab their attention. Sometimes in this instance though we focus too much on the activity and not on the learning. What do you want students to learn? Will doing this activity help do this or just distract them? Will it clearly help them acquire the knowledge or skills they need? Does it take you longer to resource the activity than students spend using it? If so, maybe rethink what you're doing. Keep it simple instead.</li>
<li><b>Make them think</b> - Daniel T. Willingham's states that memory is the residue of thought. When designing lessons check how much real thinking is taking place. Will students spend time really unpicking information, questioning its value and discussing their opinions. Will they be spending time thinking about applying knowledge to real contexts or challenging problems? </li>
<li><b>Backward design</b> - What is the end point or goal and plan backwards until you get there. Such a simple yet powerful approach which ensures you identify the various stages and routes to an outcome.</li>
</ul>
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Biggest impact:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/teaching-solo-taxonomy-through-solo.html" target="_blank">SOLO taxonomy</a></b> - Love it or hate it, <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/teaching-solo-taxonomy-through-solo.html" target="_blank">SOLO</a> has really allowed me to unpick a topic and its various components before teaching it. By doing so it has allowed me the ability to identify core knowledge that I need to spend time covering. Used purely during the planning phase, it helps me pull apart a topic and refine what I will teach. It helps ensure that I find larger context to fit the new knowledge in so students see where it fits into the bigger picture. Mapping it out also lets me create a journey or story, which I don't have to stick to, but helps me explain what it is that I am teaching.</li>
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<h3>
Feedback</h3>
<br />
Feedback is incredibly complex and the focus of two of my blog posts <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">here </a>and <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better-at.html" target="_blank">here</a>. In fact we know that if done well it can have a very high effect on students learning in the classroom. Unfortunately we also know that if it is done badly it can have detrimental effects. Feedback has also begun to be applied unreasonably in some schools with increasingly high expectations in marking policies. It can make an enormous contribution to teacher workload and see little results on what really matters; student learning. Instead of adding to the complicated world, here are my three game changers for feedback.</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Feedback should cause thinking</b> - Taken from Dylan Wiliam, if I am going to provide feedback, it had better make students think hard about it. Throw away comments and the token 'Really good work' are now replaced with a number of strategies such as <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better-at.html" target="_blank">feedback questions</a> and <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better-at.html" target="_blank">critique</a>. Students need to have a change in thought about misconceptions and actively try to correct them if things are going to move forward. Feedback also needs to help students identify what has gone wrong and what needs to be done to get better. Making them think is proving to be a great way to make them do that.</li>
<li><b>Feedback should be more work for the recipient than the donor</b> - If you find yourself spending more time writing feedback than students do acting upon it, I'd rethink what you are doing. <a href="http://teachingandlearning.org.uk/2013/11/30/feedback-should-cause-thinking/" target="_blank">Marking keys</a>, <a href="http://teachingandlearning.org.uk/2013/11/30/feedback-should-cause-thinking/" target="_blank">burning questions</a>, proof reading work before submission, <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/creating-culture-of-critique.html" target="_blank">critique</a> and <a href="http://teachingandlearning.org.uk/2013/11/30/feedback-should-cause-thinking/" target="_blank">DIRT time</a> are all ways in which students work harder than you and actually act upon the feedback you are giving.</li>
<li><b>Feedback should close the gap from where students are and where they should be</b> - Do our comments (or even peer comments) actually move the learning forward? Do they help get students up to the level that they should be? Would you understand your comments if you read them? If there are no real misconceptions can we extend a student?</li>
</ul>
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Biggest impact:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better-at.html" target="_blank">Feedback questions</a></b> - Such a simple strategy but ensures students engage with feedback. When spotting misconceptions, put a number in the margin where the error took place. At the end of the work, place a question which links to that number. The question is a reworded variant of the original question, or simply a prompt question that forces the student to realise what mistake was made, and make them think about what the correct answer is.</li>
</ul>
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<h3>
</h3>
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<h3>
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<h3>
Questioning</h3>
</div>
<div>
Leven and Long (1981) found that we ask around 300-400 questions a day whilst teaching. That is a lot of opportunities to fully engage with students and assess their understanding (or effect their thinking). It is therefore wise to reflect on how we approach questioning (as I did <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better_5.html" target="_blank">here</a>).</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Provide thinking time</b> - With the average gap between asking a question and asking for an answer being less than one second (Walsh and Sattes 2005), is it no surprise that sometimes the depth/quality of students answers isn't as good as it could be. Providing <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better_5.html" target="_blank">wait time</a>, or even using a strategy like <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better_5.html" target="_blank">snowball questions</a>, jigsaw groups or <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better_5.html" target="_blank">think, pair, share</a> can be very helpful in giving students the time to formulate a high quality answer.</li>
<li><b>Inclusive questioning systems</b> - Using strategies like Doug Lemov's 'Cold call' or the simple '<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better_5.html" target="_blank">No Hands up (with hands up)</a>' method ensures that every student in the class is included in the questioning that goes on. Check whether you keep asking the same people for answers. If you do, maybe try one of these methods (<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better_5.html" target="_blank">here</a>). Once the culture is formed and the environment is safe for students to contribute, the confidence in sharing answers increases (as does the learning). <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better_5.html" target="_blank">Hinge questions</a> are also a great way to get a whole class providing an answer.</li>
<li><b>Modelling & constructing exceptional answers</b> - Stepping away from 'I don't know' or poorly constructed answers is very important. If this happens try modelling answers with students. Scaffold their responses so they learn how to provide a well constructed answer. Highlight exceptional answers and explain why. Write key points from students answers on the board. Use <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better_5.html" target="_blank">ABC questioning</a>. All of these methods help ensure students know what a good answer is and begin to share them themselves.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Biggest impact:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>'No hands up (but with hands up)</b> - Using a simple system where students initially refrain from putting their hands up to answer a question. It has allowed me to create an environment where all students know a question could be posed to them at any point. More students stay focused and answers have developed in quality over time. I also allow hands up after a few answers are taken to allow those students who wish to add to the discussion the opportunity to do so. From experience I would recommend staying away from random name generators or whizzy name selectors. Although they allow questioning to be truly random, they slow down the lesson and become tiresome after a while.</li>
</ul>
</div>
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</div>
<h3>
Differentiation</h3>
<div>
The various abilities and needs of students in your lessons mean that we need to tailor how we teach each one. It doesn't mean that differentiation needs to add to workload or contribute to an over-complicated lesson. Differentiation should also be for the students we are providing it for, not observers or tick box scrutiny. I spoke a lot about a sensible approach to differentiation <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better_31.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Differentiation doesn't need to be visible or just for observers</b> - Differentiation is for your students. It shouldn't be about ticking off a component of a lesson and definitely shouldn't be pointed out purely for the benefit of an observer. Differentiation is subtle, personal and ingrained in what we do. It isn't a short term fix but a longer process of planning.</li>
<li><b>Differentiation is teaching (and very responsive)</b> - It's the conversations we have, the bespoke feedback we give, the way we differ questions between groups of students. Differentiation is very <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better_31.html" target="_blank">responsive</a> and happens regularly within the classroom without us even noticing.</li>
<li><b>Aim high and support up</b> - Scrap must/should/could outcomes and set high expectations for all. Use models, examples of excellence and worked examples where possible. Show students what they should be aiming for (and even surpassing) and help scaffold students up towards that outcome. Using <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better_31.html" target="_blank">graphic organisers</a> to help map out ideas, or even dropping in a few A-level questions. As Daniel T. Willingham said, we shouldn't make the tasks easier, instead we should make the thinking easier.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Biggest impact:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/creating-culture-of-critique.html" target="_blank">Modelling and examples of excellence</a></b> - Simply demonstrating exceptional work either through modelling or using examples (professional work, my own work or student work). By doing so, students can see the high expectations that we are aiming for. By modelling the process, individuals can also see the steps/thought process that was taken so that they can develop similar approaches (or not) themselves. Modelling and using high quality examples has definitely become a prominent feature in my classroom.</li>
</ul>
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<h3>
Literacy</h3>
</div>
<div>
Literacy has such an importance in learning. Establishing how to write effectively and communicate in a coherent manner is something we should all be teaching our students. With the push for improved literacy in schools, there has become a view that 'literacy' in teaching has become a bolt on. At it's worst it's become a tick box rather than a core component of our teaching. I've talked extensively <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">here</a> about how we are all teachers of English and identified a few ways that we can help improve verbal or written communication in our lessons. As a non-subject specialist, here are a few things that have worked well in my classroom:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Demonstrate great writing</b> - Showing students what great writing is has been an important element of my teaching. Using <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">articles</a> or examples of excellence, students can see first hand what we are aiming for. As a class we can deconstruct it, analyse it, critique it and discuss what has made that piece of writing great. We can then begin to <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">model</a> and scaffold how the writer has created their work. Spending time in lessons to talk through detail and process has allowed students the opportunity to learn from others and endeavor to implement similar ideas themselves.</li>
<li><b>Build up vocabulary </b>- Of the many ways I have found effective in improving students vocabulary it has been encouraging reading around my subject. Many of my lessons include articles where students naturally pick up subject specific words which are used within context. We read, we discuss and we take. We can keep glossaries of new words and even use techniques like @TeacherTweaks <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">vocabulary upgrade</a> to get students to review their writing and improve its academic quality. Spend time on words as they will benefit students writing in the long run.</li>
<li><b>Build up confidence in structure</b> - Showing students the fundamentals of sentence and paragraph structure is worth focusing on. I am no English teacher so don't feel confident looking at the technicalities of writing. What I can do though is use simple scaffolds and strategies to build a foundation with students before allowing them to be creative. The use of Doug Lemov's 'At first glance' sentence starters helps students include a better quality of academic writing. Using Helen Handford's '<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">Four Part Process</a>' for writing excellent sentence that include definition and meaning have shown my students the fundamentals. Even initially using an essay structure like <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">I.D.E.A</a> (Identify, Describe, Explain and Apply) helps get the basics right before removing the shackles and encouraging freedom.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Biggest impact:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">The four part process</a></b> - A process borrowed from Lee Donaghy (who borrowed it from Helen Handford), it is a fantastic way to structure sentences with students. It asks individuals to identify the thing being written about, add a verb, define it and then add meaning. Like any other framework, the end result is a sentence that can be read as a complete entity. The process isn't finished there but requires students to then go away and refine/redraft it further until as a class we have created an amazing sentence. Co-planning, modelling and high expectations is key.</li>
</ul>
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<h3>
<br /></h3>
<h3>
Making it stick</h3>
<div>
Remembering information so that students can use it over the long run is an important factor. Helping students store information so that they can use it in future learning, discussions, debates, answers and exams has become increasingly more important. The work of cognitive scientists and psychologist is extremely complex but fascinating. Although we are still learning more about how the brain works every day, there have been some interesting strategies that could be extremely helpful within education (even if just as a starting point):</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/can-i-be-that-little-better-atusing.html" target="_blank">Using desirable difficulties</a></b> - Robert Bjork's term 'Desirable Difficulties' refers to a number of strategies including frequent low stakes/high impact testing, spacing out the retrieval of old information over time, and interleaving topics together. The combination of these ensures that information is retrieved at numerous points throughout the learning process, and more importantly, over time. Small mini tests that focus on old topics during starter activities, identifying where two topics link and spacing out when we revisit old parts of the curriculum are just some of the simple things we can embed into our <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">curriculum</a>, <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">schemes</a> or lessons.</li>
<li><b><a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/can-i-be-that-little-better-atusing.html" target="_blank">Helping working memory</a></b> - There is still so much to learn about the brain, its functioning and capacity. However, the discussions around working memory is one area that even though I am a complete novice in, is still an area I find is helpful to know when designing lessons. With its limited capacity, do we make lessons to fussy or distract students from what we really want them to understand? Does making them design a powerpoint about the 'principles of training' make them think more about what clip art/animation/font to use rather than really learning the content? Do our explanations confuse students or overload their working memory? Keep things clear, simple and focused has been my biggest lesson learnt.</li>
<li><b><a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/can-i-be-that-little-better-atusing.html" target="_blank">Make them think</a></b> - Daniel T. Willingham talks about memory being the residue of thought. So how much of my old approach to lessons really got students thinking, and thinking hard? Check back through your planning. Instead of copying a definition from a book, could they not answer an exam question which forces them to use the definition in context?</li>
<li><b><a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/can-i-be-that-little-better-atusing.html" target="_blank">Three is the magic number</a></b> - Although in lower school settings, Nuthal's research of student learning in the classroom brought out a point that really stuck out for me. In it he found that for a student to really learn, understand and remember a concept, they would need to encounter it on at least three different occasions when being taught it. I now ensure that I check through my plans and groups of lessons to see if I am asking students to use this information in a variety of ways numerous times.</li>
</ul>
Biggest impact:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Cumulative tests</b> - We use <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">cumulative tests</a> in a variety of ways now. All of our unit exams and assessments used to be block tests which just focused on what was just taught. We now include questions from every topic so that students retrieve information from units that were taught 2 months, 6 months or even a year prior. Although we have yet to see the full impact of this, students are more able to recall topics that would previously have been forgotten.</li>
</ul>
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<h3>
Data</h3>
<div>
Data can become one of those time consuming tasks that adds to our ever increasing workload if we are not careful. For a long time a created spreadsheets and did very little with them. Data can have great impact on teaching and learning if we use it correctly. So what have I learnt about <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Data" target="_blank">data</a>?</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Are we collecting data just to say we have collected data?</b> - If it's not going to change teaching and learning or help move your students learning forward then don't waste your time. To often we keep records for 'others' to check. Follow school guidelines, refine what <i><b>you </b></i>do and create a system that helps you make a real impact.</li>
<li><b><a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Data" target="_blank">Does data improve T&L?</a></b> - Compare data with your colleagues and department. Talk about what others are doing in certain topics to get great results. Borrow ideas from them or co-plan. Look at what areas your classes have struggled in and evaluate whether the way you taught it was the problem. Make data be a part of your professional improvement.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Biggest impact:</div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Data to make a difference</b> - Still very much in its early days, we have begun to share <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Data" target="_blank">data across the department</a>. Now at meetings we fully scrutinise key areas and talk about what we did, how we taught it, what exactly students got confused with (with exams and tests on the table in front of us to do so) and how we can teach it better next time. It's about using data to make teaching and learning better, and to help improving us collaboratively.</li>
</ul>
<div>
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<div>
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<h3>
And so?</h3>
<div>
I started the 'Can I be that little bit better...?' series as a way to talk openly about my professional development. Cultures are changing, errors have been made, practice has improved and a lot of thinking has happened on my part. There is still a long way to go and improvement can always be made. What I have done though is decided that good teaching is more than just adding strategies to your game. It's a lot more than that. It's an understanding of our craft. Part of this is knowing the fundamentals that underpin effective learning and consciously trying to refine them. It's then about trying to be a little bit better at using them in the classroom.</div>
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D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-81327229672722000782014-10-31T23:50:00.002+00:002014-11-02T10:51:46.420+00:00Can I be that little bit better at......'doing' data<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
I will be the first to admit that data and I have had a turbulent relationship over the years. When I talk about data in this instance I am talking about test scores, exam scores and assessments. I fully understand the importance of tracking where students are in order to identify those who are falling behind, those who are on track and those who are performing above initial expectations (if we even know what that is?). After assessments or at calendared data collection points over the various terms I will happily input information to help build up a picture of my students. I create my own spreadsheets where I can add any additional information in an effort to demonstrate what might be happening over the year. Here's the problem though. Once I have input all of this data I rarely do anything productive with it. Of course I do the obvious stuff and look over it and identify any trends or anomalies that may crop up. There's the 'Who has hit their targets' check. There's the 'Who is working above expectation so I can breathe a sigh of relief' check. There is also the 'Arrrggghhh! What on earth are they doing?!' check which usually results in me crying inside before planning what to do to help this student. I can use it to talk to students about progress over time and even inform parents of how students are doing. I do get the feeling though that I have drifted unconsciously into collecting data for the sake of collecting data. As if it is a way of compiling evidence which I can show line managers without really knowing why. It kind of feels like I am collecting data for others rather than doing it to either a) improve students learning, or b) improving and aspect of my teaching. In fact I get the overwhelming feeling at times (and it's my own fault) that I am simply 'doing' data rather than 'using' data for any real or significant purpose. And within a department context as well, are we using data collectively to bring about meaningful change? Who knows? It's got to that time when it's time to change how I tackle the data beast.<br />
<br />
<h3>
So what have we been doing?</h3>
<div>
The last few years (within our department) have seen us begin to approach data with more of a purpose. Initially we would input assessments and on a very large spreadsheet we could do the basics. This would include things like:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Picking out those students who have done well</li>
<li>Who is on track?</li>
<li>Who is performing below expected standard?</li>
<li>Who would benefit for intervention?</li>
<li>Who is on the C/D borderline?</li>
<li>Who do I need to contact home about?</li>
<li>What topic areas did students perform badly in which I need to revisit?</li>
</ul>
<div>
The list looks a bit negative and reactive, dealing with what's happened. There are a number of other things as well but the primary focus on this was to pretty much highlight those not performing as they should and doing something about it. It could help drive conversations with line managers or within a department about the current state of play. It usually resulted in some interventions and occasionally ended in a few kick up the bums (for staff and students). However, I feel that none of this significantly changes the thing that really matters; the teaching and learning. Remember that this is just my own opinion but here's why.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Are we asking questions?</h3>
<div>
One of the most common sense things I've heard about data came from our Deputy Head in a meeting last year. In a conversation about how to create change from what we've collected he said that "Data provides a great opportunity to ask questions about what is going on". Now I've heard a lot of thoughts around data but this one sits firmly at the front of my mind. Data can show us a lot of things but asking questions from what we see is a more powerful strategy in my personal opinion. Why is student x not performing as well as they have in term one and two? Is there a link between under performance and the seating plan in the class. How can group x make as much improvement as group y? Data doesn't always show you the full picture. In fact it shows you very little compared to the enormous amount of factors that takes place in classrooms and lessons over the whole year/key stage. But it's contribution can be very powerful if we use it to spot things and ask questions.</div>
<div>
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<h3>
Are we just talking about data?</h3>
<div>
I've spent many a meeting simply talking about data. With my latest set of results and a spreadsheet sat in front of me I can revel in high grades and cower with poor ones. We can compare and discuss how classes have been performing. We can find averages and mention the overused phrases like 'Above national average', '3 levels of progress' and 'Ofsted would grill us with these results'. The thought from me though is what is this achieving? Yes we are talking about data but is that actually bringing about change? Yes it may give me a wake up call that my class is behind everyone else's but do I know how to rectify that? Yes I can put students forward for intervention but are we missing the point as to why they need it in the first place? Does knowing that a certain class has 12% higher A*- C help other teachers or simply demoralise them? Are we just talking about data to simply say we've talked about data?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Does data make us say things we're not quite sure of?</h3>
<div>
There are those times when the data in front of us doesn't read so well. At that moment of time (especially when sharing it with others) we may start saying things like "Well what do you expect with those kids?" or "They are bottom set" or "Well I must just be a terrible teacher!". The flip side to this is when results go very well and we revel in the glory. Sweeping statements like this don't actually help in the bigger scheme of things and actually masks over the details. I've done it many a time and have also seen colleagues beat themselves up because of how their classes have performed. For me, comments like those above help us deal with the disappointment we feel inside when things haven't quite gone as expected. But saying these things doesn't unpick areas we can work on. It generalises things without focusing on the detail. It becomes a factor or a reason which unless we look at it more closely, we might not be quite sure it really is the case.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Does someone else do the analysis for us?</h3>
</div>
<div>
Workload is an issue and I know that delegation can make it easier. I do wonder if having someone else analysing our data helps us understand the bigger picture ourselves. Although it can be time consuming, understanding your own class performance helps in some small way identify steps to move forward.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Do we follow up the data?</h3>
<div>
I'm sure we all do but I'll just make the point anyway. If students perform poorly on a topic area, do we find time afterwards to close the gap between what they know and what they should know? If we pick a poorly answered topic area to reteach with the class afterwards, what about those who actually performed well in it? Do we do a blanket coverage for everyone or can we make it bespoke so people work on areas that they need to?<br />
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<h3>
Is data dominating our time unnecessarily?</h3>
I hope not but it can easily do so. If the time it takes outweighs the benefits or impact it brings, does the system need to change? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Are we finding time to collaboratively look at data?</h3>
<div>
Sometimes data can feel like an isolated task. I mark the assessments. I create the spreadsheet. I analyse the results. I react to the results. I then plan what to do with the results. I then do something about the results. I then also have a meeting to discuss results with a line manager where I talk about my results. The isolation can sometimes make us work on problems and find solutions which probably aren't better than the initial idea in the first place. Take this as an example. A class does poorly on a particular component of a test and as a result we spend the next lesson reteaching it. But what if we teach it similarly to the way we did the first time? That was the way I taught it when students clearly didn't understand it so will they get it again this time? Has there been a change in the way I taught it? If not, I shouldn't be surprised if the same misconceptions crop up or students still don't get it. As they say, practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. Using colleagues during the data analysis can be an enormously important approach and a great time for learning off of each other.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Is data improving teaching and learning?</h3>
<div>
And this is the main question on my mind? If we are simply 'doing' data then I'm not sure we are. If we just talk about it without bringing meaningful change then we certainly aren't. If we look at data and pick weaknesses, but then still teach the same way, then once again I don't think we are. If we try and hide our data or make generalisations because results aren't great then we aren't. Is data improving our teaching? Is data improving the learning in the classroom? After a meeting with Pete Pease, our Director of Learning for Maths and Science, I'm hoping that it begins to do so. Data can still be about trends and anomalies, but in a more powerful approach shouldn't it also be about developing us as teachers and improving the learning that goes on in classrooms.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
How? - Data with a purpose</h3>
<div>
During that meeting I found that we've taken great leaps in the way that we are tackling data in our department. It seems that although not full proof (and the model I will propose isn't full proof either), what we have put in place has created a great foundation.<br />
<br />
When marking exams or tests we note common misconceptions or identify students who have performed differently then expected. This simply takes the form of a blank sheet of paper and a few scribbles as we go. Building a picture as we go can be vital later on.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After each theory assessment or exam we then create a spreadsheet which breaks down the exam into its smaller components. These components are colour co-ordinated for cross reference and tracking. For each component we enter the mark that each individual student got. It takes very little extra time. Although this is nothing new and not rocket science, it allows us to do a number of effective things. Firstly we can get a better overview of each topic area. How have the students performed in general? Did they score well or is this an area we need to look more closely at? Were there any strong areas? Is there a trend in results compared to question types (multiple choice, short answer or long answer)? Was it a technical aspect that was answered well/not well? Was it the written communication that was effective/ineffective. The spreadsheets allow us to quickly get a better understanding of where we are.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Secondly, the data allows us to look at students performance over time in each topic area. Our unit tests, for example, used to be block tests which just focused on what had been taught. This is no longer the case and we now include questions from every taught topic in <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">every exam</a>. Ultimately our final unit test will have questions from the full course. With this colour co-ordinated on our spreadsheet we can quickly see if the topic of 'somatotypes' for student A is still a weak area or has it got better? Is student B forgetting information over time? Is it the same areas that are still causing us the most problems? This allows us to keep our finger on the pulse and respond when needed.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We are also very focused on follow up and after every test and data analysis, we run two <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better-at.html" target="_blank">closing the gap lessons</a>. In the past we may have picked a poorly answered topic area and taught this to all students once again. But what if some students did very well in this and it becomes a waste of time? Instead we share the test information with individual students and they use this to pick weak topic areas to focus on. They revisit the targeted area, analyse their response, check mark schemes/lesson notes/text books/resources and attempt to answer the question again with a better outcome. Some students simply read the question again and instantly know what the answer should have been. This approach makes it bespoke for all students and allows us the opportunity to go round and work with students on a 1:1 basis or in small groups. Two lessons of work and hopefully this topic isn't a weakness in our next unit test.<br />
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<h3>
So what's different then? How can data improve T&L?</h3>
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Pete's message was very clear. Although we have a solid foundation and things are better than they previously were, can we raise our game and use this data to improve teaching and learning? The power of in depth analysis and collaboration within your department team can be a powerful tool and one which can occasionally be underused. Finding time in meetings to step away from 'doing' data should be high up on the priority list.<br />
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<h3>
Transparency and a supportive culture</h3>
The first area for improvement is transparency within the department and one of a supportive culture. Sharing everyone's data with one another may seem a scary prospect and may cause anxiety if an individuals class has underperformed. Even more so during a department meeting. Why would we want others to see this? It can feel like we are opening ourselves up and bringing our reputation as a teacher into question. But it doesn't have to be like that. The ethos should be about using each others experience to help move the department as a whole together. It's a difficult culture to develop but learning off of each other through discussion and observations is a powerful driver of change in teachers habits. Sharing a departments data with its own teachers allows us to sit down with each other and perform a detailed analysis. We can look across classes at different groups of learners. We can highlight topics that have been answered well across the different groups. We can see what question types have been answered better in different classes. All of these things, with each other, sat around a table, allows us to then ask the question 'why?'.<br />
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<h3>
Bringing out the detail</h3>
With asking why we normally have a multitude of reasons being given. Sometimes if a topic has gone well and results highlight this we can say things like 'they were a bright class'. If the results are poor we can say 'no matter what I said they didn't get it'. These things might well be the case but it doesn't give us much to work with. It isn't specific enough. Instead it's worth looking at the overall spreadsheet and identifying areas that weren't answered well. Picking out topics (only two or three at a time) we can then bring out the students exams, tests and assessment papers for detailed analysis. What did students write on question two in all of our classes? Can we see what their thought process or thinking was? What specifically was it that they got wrong, missed or interpreted incorrectly? Is it a trend across all classes which may be down to our scheme of work or materials? If not, is it down to individual classes or specific groups. It is an interesting task and by unpicking student answers for poorly answered questions we get to the core of the problems. I could hazard a guess and say 'well it's because they don't use technical terminology' but how do I know unless as a group of teachers we look through the papers in detail to see if it actually was?<br />
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<h3>
A driver of change</h3>
Once we have looked at the papers and worked out what went wrong in these questions/topics, we can then begin to bring about change. Usually I would then go back and reteach that piece of information so students got exposed to it again. What if the way I taught it was the problem? What if my explanation was the issue? What if my examples confused students? Through collaborative analysis we can look at classes who did perform well on a topic and ask the teacher to share how they taught it. What did they say? How did they model it? What resources did they share? We rarely find the time to visit other classrooms so this is a perfect, and very beneficial, time to develop each others practice.<br />
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Making the change to the learning that takes place should then be the key. Knowing what my class needs to work on, and knowing how other teachers have successfully taught it, we can then spend time working together to improve students understanding. This is where planning with colleagues comes into its element. Challenge each other, learn from experience, seek advice and reflect. If it doesn't work when we reteach or recover the topic again we can easily come back and unpick it again. Has data ever allowed this to happen in your department? I know it can easily be missed.<br />
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<h3>
Doing data?</h3>
We shouldn't simply be 'doing' data. The value of what we collect and collate can actually be a powerful driver of change and if used wisely and in a manageable way, can actually ensure (in a collaborative way) that we improve and increase the learning in our classrooms. It doesn't have to be more time consuming either. We mark the papers so we simply input the finite grades. We look at our results so it's now about looking at this as a department. We have the papers so it's easy to bring them out to scrutinise specific answers from your class. We always try to correct the mistakes of our learners but now it's about learning off of each other and making that change to our practice. It's about a culture within a department and one which could contribute positively as we move forward. It's about using data rather than doing data.</div>
D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-61668026928560888452014-08-31T11:21:00.000+01:002014-08-31T11:21:01.258+01:00Can I be that little bit better at.....understanding why I might be getting differentiation wrong<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There are a few things in education that either scare me or confuse me. One such thing is the term <i>differentiation</i>. When I trained as a teacher we discussed the fact that students vary in ability in lessons. This is common sense and something anyone would be able to tell you. If I remember back to my own school days, every lesson I was in put me in a different academic standing. Some lessons I flew in, some I struggled and some I just plodded along. It's obvious then that students in lessons may require additional support, help or challenge. Now this thought sits very comfortably with me. But this sounds so simple. Why then does the term 'differentiation' wake me up in the middle of the night with screams of terror?<br />
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A few years into my teaching something changed. All of a sudden (and I'm not sure where it came from) people were talking about the fact that we need to be planning detailed lessons that highlighted and catered for every single student in the classroom. The word flew in like a whirlwind and numerous strategies and ideas were left in its path. Suggestions of designing a lesson numerous different ways, creating thirty different worksheets for thirty different students, changing the outcomes for the different abilities in your lesson, utilise students learning styles, that it should be clearly visible to an observer how I was differentiating for every student..... It all got a bit overwhelming and if I'm totally honest, a little bit far fetched. Luckily for me our school stayed pretty grounded and kept things in perspective. But the worry of whether I was doing it right still lingered. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The differentiated worksheet</td></tr>
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The reason that this particular face of differentiation bothers me is that it seems very unrealistic on teachers. I am fully aware that the students in my classroom are very unique and learn in very different ways. Experience tells me this. I understand that some prefer different approaches and various forms of interactions. I understand that students differ in the type of instruction they need. They're not battery hens where a one size fits all system works. But what for me felt like hysteria around differentiation a few years back gave me the feeling that what was expected wasn't for the students, but for other groups of people. It felt like there was an expectation that every lesson had to be uniquely tailored to all students. Now that takes time. And I tried it for a while. Believe me I did. I spent hours on each lesson thinking how I could ensure every student was catered for. But ultimately it became an impossible task and I felt fraudulent when I eventually only did this level of planning for things like observations. So how could I manage this effectively and be realistic, and a bit more effective, in helping cater for students in my lessons?<br />
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As part of my renewed focus on my practice over the past few years I started to think of ways that I could scrap this view of differentiation, and simply look at ways that I could instead provide challenge for all. In fact I'm not even sure what I'm talking about is differentiation anymore. With it I began focusing on approach that would ultimately work for me and my students. So what lessons have I learnt?<br />
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<b>Differentiation isn't a short term fix</b><br />
For me differentiation felt like a series of short term solutions. 'How could I adapt this part of teaching for this part of this lesson for this student on this day' became stuck in my head. What I've learnt is that differentiation isn't about that at all. It's not about one off strategies and doing things in isolation. These can help but for me it's much better than that. Differentiation is all of those tiny subtle things we do on a day to day basis. The things we do naturally with the various students in response to their needs. The hundreds of conversations, questions, discussions and pieces of advice. These small moments that happen consistently on a daily basis makes a much bigger deal in the long run.<br />
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<b>Sometimes you may not even know you're doing it</b><br />
There are times in our profession, especially in observations, when we feel we have to make every action in our classroom visible. But sometimes differentiation will happen and you may not even notice you've done it. I worry that we expect differentiation to be the adapted worksheet or different task. Something we know we've done and can point to in lessons. Something we can physically hold on to and say 'here it is!'. Or worse, something we go out of our way to make visible for others to observe it. But differentiation may simply be the bespoke feedback you've given or the way you've demonstrated something differently to a student. It's the way we respond to students needs. It's helping students move forward. As I've just said, it's the tiny conversations we have. Those small things happen every single lesson and we may not even notice or recognise it. That for me is differentiation.<br />
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<b>Differentiation should be simple</b><br />
Over complicating differentiation has been my downfall in the past. It shouldn't take hours of my planning time but instead be part and parcel of what I do. I don't need over complicated resources, activities or tasks. Making things more efficient and manageable is a much better way to go.<br />
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<b>More work isn't differentiation - is it?</b><br />
There were times when all I did was provide more work for those who were flying which meant less work for those who weren't. Is this differentiation though or is it just simply setting more tasks. I'm not sure I know the answer. I guess that if we do provide more work, it should firstly be something that extends students rather than being much of the same. Secondly we need to make sure that there is a culture that everyone is expected to have the same output otherwise some students may produce two or three times the amount than others. <br />
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<b>30 different worksheets for 30 different students isn't realistic</b><br />
Yes every single student in your class is different but spending hours creating unique and bespoke resources can be very time consuming. If it will help, if it will challenge, if it will support and if it will be used again then go ahead and make it. If you feel that simply planning your explanations, your questioning, your feedback or demonstrations would be a better and more effective part of a lesson, maybe the worksheets can wait.<br />
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<b>Don't make the task easier, making the thinking easier</b><br />
Adapted from Daniel T. Willingham, this little nugget of advice has really stuck with me. Instead of making the outcomes of tasks easier for different groups of students, structure the thinking behind it that little bit better. A colleague of mine said a few months back that ultimately, every student in her class, regardless of ability, will have to sit the exact same exam with the exact same time limit as everyone else. Making tasks easier for some just means that they will know less. I have to agree. Gone are the 'must, could, should' objectives and differentiated endpoints. Instead every student has to learn the same key content, <i>but</i>, the way each student thinks and gets there may be different. <br />
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<b>Differentiation is about knowing your students</b><br />
I can't think of many things more important to help you teach your students. <br />
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<b>Focusing too much on a group</b><br />
I found myself guilty of focusing on specific groups of students that I actually took my eyes of those that remained. Pinpointing under achievers or stretching the more able is important, but what I did when doing this was forget about those not in these groups.<br />
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<b>And finally, differentiation is responsive</b><br />
If you have a firm grasp on your group and you use various forms of evidence, assessment or data, you can plan differentiation into your lessons effectively. Equally, if you know your students and know the difficult parts of the topics you teach, you could probably plan and adapt your delivery differently at these 'sticking points'. Being prepared and planning differentiation is important. However, I fell in love with the term coined by Andy Tharby; <a href="http://reflectingenglish.wordpress.com/2013/12/21/differentiating-the-responsive-way/" target="_blank">Differentiation the responsive way</a>. Most of the differentiation we do in lessons happens in response to the events that unravel. Yes we can plan until the cows come home but it's the moments in a lesson when you have to rephrase an instruction, give a prompt when someone is stuck, pose a tough question that spins a student on their head when they are flying. We never know what will happen in lessons. We work with students so why would we. Having experience, skill and expertise in our teaching means we can respond to differentiating when it jumps out on us unexpectedly.<br />
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So my approach to differentiation has changed and I hope for the better. Instead of trying to plan numerous resources and creating an extensive range of activities, my focus is to respond to students needs in the lesson. Planning to pinpoint sticking points, looking at tailoring questions, giving personalised feedback and helping support every student to achieve the same high aspirational goal is the key. So how am I doing it?<br />
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<b>1. Data, assessment and information that I'll actually use</b><br />
Data is important but too often we can focus on the wrong things. Regular marking, questioning students, homework scores, test result, quality of book work.....are all things that help me build up a picture of how my students are doing. Years ago I would mark books because I had to. Now I take books to help me see who needs help, who needs to be stretched and who needs a rocket firmly placed. Paying attention to these details helps you understand the individuals and allows you to have those all important conversations.<br />
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<b>2. Seating plans</b><br />
Now I have tried a million different seating plans in my lessons. For a while the consensus for some was to have more able and less able sat together. The idea was to have direct support there when the lower ability student needed it. It allowed students to feel confident that the person next to them could help them and in return, the more able student would reinforce their understanding by explaining it to their peer. At the end of Year 11 I regularly get students to evaluate my teaching so I can tweak in preparation for my next group. Out of all of the things, this type of seating plan took the biggest hit. The higher ability students in the class highlighted their dislike for such a plan. They felt that when they wanted to extend themselves they had to come back to help those who were struggling. They also felt that discussions were limited and never grew with much depth. The less able enjoyed the support but benefited more from my intervention. Over the last few years I now group students based on their results. After unit tests or exams, the groups are reworked. Those that consistently achieve around the A*-A grades work together. Those around the B grade sit together. And this goes on. And it changes every unit. Now is it working? Well if I had to group students without any sort of data but purely on knowing my students they would be roughly the same groups. It means that I can go to every group and pose a slightly different question or challenge their thinking. On one table I may pose a question that gets them to reinforce a key piece of information. On another table I may ask students to think about the impact this topic has had on another. It isn't full proof but it allows me to provide 6 or 7 differentiated pieces of instruction, questions or feedback very quickly.<br />
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<b>3. Oh no, not SOLO - The Marmite of eductaion</b><br />
Love it or hate it but using <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/SOLO%20Taxonomy" target="_blank">SOLO taxonomy</a> to plan my lessons allows me to think through the different stages or a topic. It really helps me break down the components and begin to formulate a plan of delivery. This allows me to identify possible sticking points and create simple contingencies or interventions. The system also allows students to have different entry points. I can work with some students developing the important content knowledge that they need whilst helping others tie this topic into other areas we have covered. The taxonomy also allows students to go back a level as well. I worry some feel that we need to get to the top to EA as quick as we can where as we can actually spend a good lesson or two developing students uni/multi-structural knowledge go back and forth until it is secure. For me it's a real help.<br />
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<b>4. Conversations</b><br />
More than anything I now try to spend time chatting to my students. Lesson time doesn't allow me to have numerous 1:1 chats, primarily because I have to get through the teaching. One thing I have done is design a rota where I aim to chat to 4 or 5 specific students every lesson. Over the course of a few lessons I have had a conversation with every member of the class about their progress, where they are at, what needs to be improved and where need to go to move them forward. The conversation is bespoke, it's unique and it's tailored to that student. By using a rota as a guide combined with the general hustle and bustle of getting around your class, I now try to ensure I have real conversations with students about their learning. Some are longer than others, some are more direct than others, but ultimately they happen and they happen regularly.<br />
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<b>5. Bespoke feedback</b><br />
<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">Feedback</a>, in my own personal opinion, has to be one of the best methods of differentiation. What I say to one student will be different from what I say to another. The tailoring of this feedback can prompt a student to become unstuck or stretch their thinking beyond the curriculum. Each student is individual no matter how similar their grades may suggest. What you say can be hugely important and is such a vital part of our craft. Marking falls under this category as well. It may be slightly more time consuming than generic comment stickers or stamps, but I aim to give every student at least two <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better-at.html" target="_blank">feedback questions</a> when I mark. Yes two students may have a similar grade or mark, but they have probably had a different experience doing that work. Knowing my students allows me to provide personal feedback that works for that individual. Feedback in my eyes in key.<br />
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<b>6. Questioning</b><br />
There's a real craft in using <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Questioning" target="_blank">questioning </a>to support, stretch and challenge. Planning questions for key parts of the lesson is advisable but the art of being responsive and posing them in real time is a real skill. There are those students whose bewildered faces suddenly become enlightened when a rephrased question you pose gets them unstuck. There are those able students who think they've done it, only for you to spin their head with a higher level question. Having such questions at the ready may come over time with increased confidence in your subject and increased experience. But, along with the bespoke feedback you give, what can be more effective and more efficient in terms of differentiation? In my eyes, not much.<br />
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<b>7. Examples of excellence</b><br />
No book has inspired me more than Ron Berger's 'An Ethic of excellence'. The book shares numerous stories of how Ron gets students from a young age to create work well beyond their years. It is a masterpiece and a must read. Throughout the book Ron explains how he uses '<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/creating-culture-of-critique.html" target="_blank">examples of excellence</a>' with his students to demonstrate the high quality of work they need to produce. He doesn't expect lower ability students to create any less work than a more able. In fact he aims students to produce professional pieces of work such as architect designs and town radon reports. The choice of excellent examples is a fundamental building block in the process. By sharing outstanding or high quality work with students, you can inspire them to achieve work beyond what they probably believed. The examples help students understand where work could lead to and the dissection and unpicking of it helps to make the steps to greatness concrete. Collecting examples from industry, media articles and from students is easy to do and can be brought out when units or schemes are taught again in the future. <br />
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<b>8. Modelling</b><br />
Modelling is not a new idea but one that is used so regularly in the classroom. And is it differentiation? If we go by any technical definition it might not be. In my classroom though, modelling is an essential component. Over the years I have begun to use students work as it happens. Sharing students work with their peers can be very helpful. Like with examples of excellence, models happen there and then. They can incorporate greatness, errors, and process of thinking. They help students who are struggling see the next steps. By working as a class to refine a sentence it can help the more able progress their work further. If we use models in the right way, they become an important method and can provide so much in terms of moving everyone forward.<br />
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<b>9. I scaffold and structure</b><br />
As Daniel T. Willingham talked about, I shouldn't be making the task easier. Instead I should support the thinking that is needed to get there. And I totally agree with this. Within my lessons students are expected to produce excellent pieces of work. Some will get their by themselves. Others will need varying levels of support. What none of them needs is for me to make tasks easier and expect lower standards. Using a variety of scaffolds is very helpful. Using ideas like the <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">four part process</a> for writing excellent sentences is one great tool that pops up again and again in my class. For some students it becomes the guide that they really need. For others it is just a simple reminder of what to include. For others it is irrelevant as they write with confidence, style and elegance. Ideas like Dough Lemov's '<a href="http://teachlikeachampion.com/blog/first-glance-sentence-starter-adds-unexpected-rigor-writing/" target="_blank">At first glance</a>' sentence starters has also been a great way to develop, support and extend. Simply providing three words of differing academic difficulty (although all of them are still quite high) forces students to think and adapt the subsequent sentence they craft. Designing and displaying these starters is quick and effective. The important thing is that these types of scaffolds become redundant the more skillful the students become. And that's what I feel scaffolding and using structures (like PEED, IDEA and so on) should do. Help when it's needed but then disappear when ready. <br />
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<b>10. Graphic organisers</b><br />
I rarely produce a worksheet for lessons anymore simply because of the balance between the time it took to produce it, compared to the time the student actually used it. Instead I have a bank of <a href="http://teachingandlearning.org.uk/2014/08/11/mapping-out-their-thinking/" target="_blank">graphic organisers</a> which I can tweak and tailor when needed. The beauty of these resources (such as double bubble maps, compare and contrast maps) is that they can help students keep track of the information before working with it. The less able in the class can use them to record key points and then manipulate them. The more able can use them to find more detailed connections and relationships. The organisers are excellent and can be used flexibly from one lesson to the next. Adding prompt questions or even high level statements can support or stretch abilities. They can also help scaffold and structure work. A complex essay can be quickly mapped out before becoming a plan for the subsequent drafts. Graphic organsiers in my classroom have made things a lot clearer for students and have a place for all ability levels.<br />
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<b>11. A level beyond the curriculum</b><br />
I've thought a lot that we shouldn't simply be restricted by the <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">curriculum </a>we follow. Yes students must know, cover and learn information that may come up in exams, but we can go beyond to really enlighten them. I've been dropping a few AS level PE exam questions into lessons. I use them for two reasons. Firstly, when something becomes difficult, showing them something at a more advanced level demonstrates the bigger picture and has helped students understand the topic better. Doesn't sound right does it? Secondly, they provide a great challenge when students have finished work and shows them that a topic isn't finished. There is always something more to learn.<br />
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<b>12. Expect excellence</b><br />
And finally, I set the expectation that every student can produce great work. I know that links into the Growth Mindset ethos, and some might argue that not every student is capable of producing great work, but I do set the aim that we all can achieve a high standard of work. And I demonstrate how. <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/creating-culture-of-critique.html" target="_blank">Redrafting </a>work shows that things do get better when we act upon feedback. Using techniques like the literacy upgrade shows that by improving the vocabulary we use in answers or essays, or work becomes more academic. By spending time with a peer/group/class removing redundant words I show that we don't all need to waffle and in fact we can become much clearer in our writing. Demonstrating these small things makes a big difference and changes habits.<br />
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<b>And so?</b><br />
And that final point is the big deal for me. It's the small things that make a big difference over time. Like Sir Dave Brailsford's Marginal gains, the aggregation of all of these little strategies improves the outcome over time. Are some of these things differentiation by definition? Most probably not. But I have learnt that I can't make lessons 1:1 or bespoke to every student every lesson. That takes too much time and is unrealistic. Instead I can put in manageable strategies and spend time doing the things that matter. In my eyes, if you asked me outright, I'd say effective differentiation (for me) is talking, questioning, challenging, marking and responding. I call it teaching. So can I be that little bit better at differentiation? I probably can, and probably a million times better. But I am not super human.D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-38450636141273390962014-08-05T22:17:00.000+01:002014-08-05T22:31:14.399+01:00Can I be that little bit better at......asking effective questions?<div>
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After writing my <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">last post on barriers to effective questioning</a>, I began to reflect a lot on the strategies I use in the classroom. One of the main areas of focus was why some of the methods I have used throughout my career might not have been as effective as they possibly could have been. Questioning is such a frequent tool in the classroom and one that is used to elicit what it is that students think or know about a topic. If we don't ask questions then how on earth can we assess their learning. From the last post I made the point that some of the ways I delivered questions fall short of the mark. I pulled out a list of reasons why my questioning techniques need tweaking in order to maximise their impact:</div>
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<li>Calling on high achievers a lot more than low achievers</li>
<li>Same student answering</li>
<li>Not enough wait time</li>
<li>Lack of depth in the questions</li>
<li>'Guess what's inside my head'</li>
<li>Responding to students answers (just moving on)</li>
<li>Giving them the answer</li>
<li>Asking questions that are too complex</li>
<li>Dealing with 'The hands up kids!'</li>
<li>Patience</li>
<li>'I don't know' and dealing with similar answers</li>
<li>Only gaining one students insight</li>
<li>Wrong answers and what I do with them</li>
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This list is quite extensive and rightly so. If you look at them closely, they are more about what the students gain from questioning rather than what we as teachers do. And I firmly believe that that should be the case. If I remember back to my school days I probably thought questioning was a way for teachers to either annoy us or check we were still awake. As a new teacher I thought questioning was part and parcel of what we were expected to do. Now more experienced I see questioning as a way for students remember, connect, expand ideas, discuss, agree, disagree, share opinions, challenge, entice curiosity, offer perspectives and much more. So when looking at this list in an effort to improve questioning, new strategies or refined techniques might not attend to all of them in one go. However, a series of habit changes and a combination of strategies might ensure that the questions I ask have a lot more impact than before. So can I be that little bit better at asking effective questions?</div>
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<h3>
Culture</h3>
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One key area that kept cropping up when looking at my questioning was why students don't involve themselves in the process. If I think back to my days at school, I can picture classes with old friends and peers with different abilities, backgrounds and views on education. We had some who enjoyed school. We had some who tolerated school. We had the naturally talented. We had those who struggled. We had some who gave their all. We had some who wasted talent. We had some who knew it all. We had some who found school wasn't for them. With such diversity in the class I found that sharing ideas and opinions during class discussions could be a mine field. A wrong answer could be met with a severe put down from peers. A great answer could result in ridicule as you are seen as a 'boff' or teachers pet. The worry of the teacher finding out you have no idea left you feeling pressured, panicked or worried. The culture of a classroom might not be that different now. Who really knows. But that culture where sharing answers during class questioning is safe is extremely important. Yes we want students to challenge each other and offer opposing opinions, but we need to ensure that the environment in which questioning occurs allows everyone to contribute without the worry of ridicule or panic. Setting clear rules, modelling how to share answers, demonstrating good protocol and scaffolding the process allow students the security to be involved. Celebrating good answers, valuing opinions and rationally challenging ideas takes time to achieve, but setting up such a culture means that the methods that follow might have a lot more success.<br />
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Quality of answers</h3>
If we allow it, student responses could become very weak or low in standard. Challenging students to provide answers can be quite a task in some instances. Setting expectations that every answer must be high quality can be even harder. Still, it is worth the battle if you set ground rules regarding the answers students provide. It will take time to introduce them, model them, scaffold them and reinforce them, but the quality over time will improve immensely.<br />
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<li>Set that expectation that every student must speak loud enough so that they can be heard by all. There is nothing worse when a student mumbles and the majority of the class can't hear it. </li>
<li>Ask that they use well structured sentences and language. Now this will take time to develop but similar to writing, students should be using specific terminology, sound structure and a range of vocabulary. Be a stickler for slang words. It will be tough but it is well worth it.</li>
<li>Develop it if it needs to be. Some students will settle for giving you the minimum they possibly can. If an answer is a bit thin on the ground, before using another technique like ABC questioning, ask the student to refine their answer so that we as a class can do something with it. It may need prompts and probing questions but getting a culture established among students that high quality answers are the norm is a great first step.</li>
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One Mississippi, two Mississippi........Wait time</h3>
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As I pointed out in the <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">last post</a>, teachers rarely leave students enough thinking time before asking for an answer. As simple as it may seem, pausing before asking students to contribute is a key thing. Unfortunately from my own (and others) experience, the fear of silence in a lesson is one of the reasons we rush in.</div>
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Make it your standard practice to allow at least 3 or 4 seconds before asking students to contribute. The difference in that and rushing is can be immense. The quality of answers and the depth of thinking might just be that little bit better. Silence doesn't mean that learning isn't taking place. Students need space to think so build this in (just make sure that it doesn't just become extended daydreaming time).</div>
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<h3>
Planning questions</h3>
With the nature of learning and the messy form that it can take in lessons, it is not uncommon that its direction can deviate at times. Trying to plan your questions is therefore unrealistic. In fact I would recommend not trying to plan every question as it would be so time consuming and probably a waste of time. Instead the majority of questions we pose are responsive to the situation and occur when needed. The ability to react in such a way requires us to have expertise in our subject knowledge so we can stretch and challenge all abilities. However, you are still able to plan carefully designed questions to use at specific times. Imagine a topic you teach. Many have key points that must be understood or common areas of misconception. At these times, during your planning phase, construct one or two questions for the lesson that you can pull out at these pivotal points. The ability to have them on hand to reinforce or correct the learning can be extremely helpful and ensure students head towards a desired outcome.</div>
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ABC questions</h3>
I have absolutely no idea where I first heard about this technique. It has now become a regular routine in my classroom even if I don't make specific reference to the strategy. ABC stands for Add, Build and Contest/Challenge. It is a way of turning the process of questions and answers into a class dialogue. Rather than simply gaining one students insight or calling on the same student over and over again, the teacher poses a class question which they allow time to mull over. When the teacher calls upon a student to answer they use this as the beginning of the dialogue. The teacher then invites other students to contribute. The first stage is having others 'Add' to the initial answer. Was there anything that you would add that might have been missed out? Was there a bit of information, key word or idea missing? Was there a part of the answer that needs refining?<br />
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The teacher then asks if anyone would like to 'Build' upon the answer. This involves adding more structure or content. It could involve drawing in additional information or vocabulary to make the answer more academic. The idea is the class is now building this up and developing the complexity.<br />
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The final stage involves offering the opportunity for anyone to 'Challenge' what has been said. This is crucial as students may not agree. Rather than let it be a free for all, the process allows a rational approach to rebut, disagree, oppose or offer a different perspective. The process of reasoning also allows students to understand a variety of viewpoints or even consider an alternative answer that might not have been initially perceived. Depending on the quality of the answer, the ABC process can begin again. The whole process is simple to implement and excellent for modelling.<br />
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<h3>
Live write the answer</h3>
Such a simple idea but one that I see underused. It is certainly one that I have only recently begun to do more avidly. The process simply involves annotating answers on the board as students give them. Attention spans, working memory capacity and distractions can sometimes mean that after a complex answer has been given, peers or classmates have forgotten what has been said. The process involves the teacher keeping track of the answer and noting down any key elements of it on the board. This allows students to then reflect upon what has been said and generate a discussion about its quality. With it being so visual, the teacher can then manipulate structure or have it critiqued by the class in an effort to improve it. Students can discuss the answer in pairs or consider it individually. By it being live, it is easier to keep track or the thought process and in itself becomes more memorable.<br />
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<h3>
Driving questions</h3>
Driving questions are generally thought provoking open ended questions that is used in approaches such as PBL. A driving question is large in itself but requires a bank of knowledge and understanding to answer it. Although large, the question is refined enough that it requires students to focus on specific topics and information. It can been seen as a hook which prompts curiosity. In our current GCSE course, we split our topics into units. Each unit was carefully designed to include areas of the curriculum that were related to each other. Each of these units has a driving question which literally 'drives' the learning. In our recent physiology unit, the question we launched with was '<i>How do the four physiological systems interlink to allow an athlete to perform in competition?</i>'. The question prompted curiosity and thought before the subsequent lessons pieced the answers together. Every lesson the driving question was mentioned and new information was added to the students thinking. At the end of the unit students are given this as an extended question which they must answer using what they have learnt. The beauty behind using this method is every student has the same carefully selected question throughout. The question itself is one which all students ultimately need to know by covering the unit. It allows teachers the opportunity to assess what has been learnt and forces them all to demonstrate it.<br />
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<h3>
Questions as objectives</h3>
Very similar to driving questions is the process of using questions as objectives. The question will pose curiosity among the students and set up a bigger picture of where this topic is going. Like with the driving questions, all students should be expected to answer it in some form during the lesson (whether as a final task or plenary).<br />
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No hands up (but with hands up)</h3>
There are a lot of strategies out there that work on randomly selecting students to answer questions in lessons. The 'not knowing if it is me' scenario is one way to keep most students involved in the lesson. The process involves choosing a student at random who provides an answer. As it could be anyone, student naturally need to be paying attention. Over the years you might have seen name cards, lolly pop sticks, spinning wheel random name selectors, an Octopus that selects boxes with students names on (or was that just in the 2010 World Cup?). My preferred method which I share with fellow teachers is extremely technical and simply involves pointing at a student and asking them. Either way, the process means that the same students in lessons don't get asked. But hold on a minute.....what about those students who actually want to answer a question rather than the student trying to wriggle out of it. Should they still not be allowed an opportunity to share? Why should they be penalised? This is a good point. The last thing we want to do is cause students to lose motivation or give up caring. A straightforward solution is to work on the no hands up strategy (Doug Lemov calls it 'Cold Call') but after one or two answers, allow students to put their hands up and share their responses. It seems so simple yet on numerous times when I have mentioned this people say 'Oh yeah, I'll do that'. Yes all students should be part of the questioning process and have to think. No hands up does that. But we should still allow those who genuinely want to contribute, and who may bring a high quality answer that may change the lesson, to share their ideas as well.<br />
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<h3>
Modelling with questions</h3>
There are times when a student comes out with a mind-blowing answer that summarises everything you have asked so concisely. It doesn't happen everyday and sometimes it is lost on the majority of their peers. Students need to understand why it is you are praising the depth of the answer. Annotating it on the board and deconstructing it helps the remainder of the class see how that conclusion was made. Highlight the thinking. Highlight the structure. Highlight the vocabulary and use of terminology. Show students (just like with writing) how they too can end up at the same outcome.<br />
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Hinge questions (and other whole class response systems)</h3>
Hinge questions have quickly become one of my favourite questioning strategies. One of the problems with a lot of questioning is it only asks one student at a time. There is a danger that doing this does not paint an accurate picture of what the remainder of the class thinks, and, it is time consuming to then move onto the next individual. Whole class response systems allow you to quickly see what every student thinks and gives you a slightly better temperature of the classroom. A hinge question itself is where at a critical point in the lesson, usually for me at the stage where I want to move onto more complex tasks, you share a multiple choice question on the board for students to think over. The answers are labelled 1, 2, 3, 4/A, B, C, D and students have to raise their hand/white board in response to which answer they think is correct. Designing hinge questions can be tricky to start with. The wrong options need to be close enough that they may be plausible but not too similar that they may cause a misconception to be learnt. That can be tricky to unlearn and fix. They also shouldn't be too easy that they become pointless. A quick scan of the class allows you to decide whether to move on or spend more time on the topic you have just covered.<br />
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<h3>
Question statements</h3>
Stolen entirely from Dylan Wiliam is question statements. As a teacher you display a statement based on a topic or piece of learning you have just covered. Rather than it being a question to elicit an answer, it challenges students to think of a more developed response that share their opinion. To do it justice, here is the excerpt from Dylan:<br />
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This is an idea that I have become a big fan of. It's simplicity yet alternative way of working means that students are forced to think and draw opinions. The simple tweaks to our input means that students can be continuously challenged.<br />
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You've got 30 seconds - Bounce.</h3>
Out of all of the lessons I have observed, one where I watched our Director of Learning stood out the most. In his lesson he had a mixed ability Year 9 class. During the lesson he asked a question to students. He offered some wait time before he asked for an answer. No hands went up and no contributions were made when called upon. At this point I got my pen out ready to make some eagle eyed observation notes. Before I had even got the lid off he simply said to the class, "Okay guys you have 30 seconds to get an answer, off you go". My pen was safely put away. The answers that came from the repeated round of questioning was a million times better. Initially I thought a number of problems had occurred. Maybe the question was to complex? Maybe the students weren't listening? Maybe they hadn't gained the necessary knowledge to answer it. Instead all the students needed was 30 seconds to bounce their ideas around and feel confident that what they were going to say was along the right lines.<br />
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<h3>
Snowballing</h3>
One of the first real strategies I had for questioning (apart from simply firing them from the hip) was snowballing. It still becomes part of my teaching repertoire and crops up in lessons now and again. I simply ask a question to the class and allow students time to develop an answer for themselves. I then ask students to share it with a partner so they can compare and evaluate the answers they have reached. They then grow into groups of four, then half a class until we share a refined answer as a class. The process allows students to analyse each others statements. When the group size grows each student has a chance to share their view and time is allocated to refining that answer into a shared consensus. The final few answers hopefully include a wider content base, more factual meaning, higher reasoning and increased structure and vocabulary. The process itself doesn't ever have to reach the whole class stage. Sometimes time won't simply allow it. A similar strategy is <b>'Think, Pair, Share'</b> where the same principle of independently creating and answer before collaborating exists. Instead of going for large numbers, the same principles exist for sharing an answer with a partner before sharing their perspective with a class.<br />
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<h3>
Write it down</h3>
Sometimes students aren't able to pull together a constructive answer in their head. Occasionally a question is quite complex or contains wording which needs thinking time. In this instance it is a great help to allow students an opportunity to write down initial thoughts. It only needs to be in short hand or bullet point but allows students an opportunity to refer to notes when sharing their ideas in class.<br />
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<h3>
Exit tickets</h3>
Exit tickets have now become a common theme in my lesson. The strategy is great to use as it ask students to summarise the key learning within the lesson as well as provides some more of formative assessment which you can use for future planning. Ideally used right at the very end of the lesson, the teacher poses a challenging question on the board. In my experience, the question should only be a maximum of a 3 or 4 marks so students have ample time to respond to it. The question pulls out the key learning concept from the lesson and forces students to show they have an grasp on it. As we know (from Bjork's Learning v Performance) it doesn't give you a huge indicator of what learning has taken place, but it is another opportunity to squeeze thinking into your lesson and have students manipulate the information they have just had shared with them. The teacher asks the students to either answer the question on a slip or write it in their books for marking. If the responses are very poor, the teacher can then attend to that topic area in the next lesson. If the answers are excellent, the teacher can skim this before moving onto a new area.<br />
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<h3>
Generating questions</h3>
Research suggests that the majority of questions that are posed in lesson come from teachers. Why is it that we spend little time getting students to develop their own questions? A technique I borrowed from Martin Said on my visit to Cramlington in 2009 was the Questioning Grid (Kipling's). The grid has been well documented by such teachers as John Sayers and Tait Coles. It uses Rudyard Kipling's 6 questions (who, where, what, when, how and why) combined with other words such as is, did or might. Responding to a stimulus (possibly a driving question) students have to generate questions for themselves using the boxes as prompts. The rule of thumb (although I am not quite sure) is that the further to the bottom right corner you get, the higher the level of question you are creating. Students then select their top one or two questions which they then share on a question wall or with the class in another format. The class can then select a question which to investigate or pose to the teacher to answer. The technique itself doesn't have to simply be for inquiry but works well in any other circumstance that the generation of questions is needed. The modelling and challenge that a teacher facilitates helps students see what a good question looks like.<br />
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<h3>
And so....?</h3>
Culture, confidence and strategies are all well and good but as teachers we need to ensure that whatever question we pose has a benefit to the learning. Sometimes asking less is more. Sometimes designing a few well constructed questions is better than machine gunning 300 off in one session. Maybe the strategies themselves are not important but the quality of the students answers. Maybe forgetting strategies and focusing on designing well crafted questions around the content of your lesson would be time better spent. I'd have to hold my hands up and say I don't know. What I do know is that some of the strategies, habits, protocols and procedures that I have listed above have been time efficient and have created an environment where students are sharing their opinions in a much more refined way than they had before. So can these methods help me ask more effective questions? I hope so.<br />
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D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-12462436661850154442014-08-03T22:21:00.000+01:002014-08-03T22:21:00.452+01:00Can I be that little bit better at.....questioning my questioning?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBlXHJgCJw2PoJ8py_aJVNefWJBgiCCe3OAvFjZNGcBpHixo_xKUjjtWLfc-SeKVxwaBa3LIliBmSLpaswiI59mmnVy3S_su052PJByXRCyBbk7zYqHYlAmS2FNj1rFtx5uvMl8ptVqS8/s1600/held-for-questioning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBlXHJgCJw2PoJ8py_aJVNefWJBgiCCe3OAvFjZNGcBpHixo_xKUjjtWLfc-SeKVxwaBa3LIliBmSLpaswiI59mmnVy3S_su052PJByXRCyBbk7zYqHYlAmS2FNj1rFtx5uvMl8ptVqS8/s1600/held-for-questioning.jpg" height="316" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture from David Hayward</td></tr>
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For as long as I can remember I have asked questions in my classroom. In fact I can't think back to a lesson where I haven't posed a question at least once in the first few minutes of a lesson. Questioning is such a frequent element in lessons and something that we as teachers use numerous times, in numerous different ways with numerous different students. Robert Marzano in his book <i>Classroom instruction that works</i> claims that 80% of teacher instructions involves asking questions. Leven and Long (1981) also found that teachers ask around 300 - 400 questions each day, with (in one study) the average question being fired roughly every 43 seconds. Now that is a lot of questions if we are true to the trend. And as teachers this probably isn't surprising is it?<br />
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Questioning is a vital part in the process of both thinking and understanding. They are intertwined so intricately and allow us the opportunity to unpick, stretch, check and challenge. In fact questioning doesn't just have to be about stimulus-response or eliciting an individual idea. Questioning at its finest can produce a symphony of thinking, discussions and curiosity. It helps us gauge levels of understanding and respond where necessary. If skillfully utilised in lessons it allows students the explore, investigate or manipulate information. It has the ability to help strengthen the retrieval or facts, figures and content. It can open dialogue between individuals and encourage students to go beyond the level of learning expected. If done very well, it can leave students thinking about the topic well beyond the time the question was asked. <br />
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There is a problem though and this problem is the same as other areas of teaching such as feedback. These things are only <i>effective </i>if we use them <i>effectively</i>. Poor or inadequate feedback won't drive forward the learning. The same is true for poor use of questioning. If we use questioning in an ineffective way we shouldn't be surprised if the depth of learning isn't as we expected. <br />
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However, there is the point as Walsh and Sattes (2005) found: <i>asking questions is better than not asking questions</i>. Gall et al (1978) also found that those who were asked even low level questions learned more than those who were not. So the challenge then is can we become more skillful in the way we ask questions? Can we design our methods to help drive learning forward more than it previously was? Can we create a culture where excellent questioning in the classroom is the norm? Can we be that little bit better at questioning our questions? I am most certainly confident that we can. <br />
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It would be wise in my journey to improve my questioning, to first be aware of what I might be doing less effective in the first place. Within the hustle and bustle of a five period day with varying classes, these 'errors' as you may, probably creep into our practice on more than one occasion. It's human nature and with the high frequency use of questions in our job, one of these is probably going to slip through. However, having them in your mind when improving questioning can be extremely beneficial:<br />
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<h3>
Calling on high achievers a lot more than low achievers</h3>
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This is something I have been very guilty of. I can clearly think back to my early days as a teacher. The awkward silences and 'pulling teeth' moments where you ask a student a question and get met by a response that is not what you expected. Innocently, your next questions are directed at some of the more able students in the class. The answer is as you expected. It reaffirms the content you have taught and the pace of the lesson remains. Calling upon the more able student has ensured we have can all move onto the next part and an example answer has been provided. Fantastic hey? Maybe, maybe not. Using high achievers certainly has its plus points. Some of the answer that I have had from certain students have provided light bulb moments or even clarified a point that has caused so many of their peers to be stuck on. I have been blown away and amazed how some students can articulate their thinking. Their responses allow me the opportunity to unpick, model, scaffold and guide the remainder of the class forward. However, relying on these students glosses over a key point in learning: mistakes <i>can </i>be made and learning benefits from them. It also has the ability to create resentment among students. The comments such as "Paul always gets asked" or "Kate will get it right so why should I bother?" are a sad thing to see. But it happens. Some students find topic areas difficult and begin to be part of a culture where they let the high achievers answer and simply zone out. If we are to ensure that every student in our class is involved in questioning, and more importantly, not scared to be involved in the process, then we need to ensure that we equally share out questions to all abilities. The skill is how we respond to the answers.</div>
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<h3>
Same students answering</h3>
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Teachers inadvertently can fall into the trap of asking the same students to answer questions all of the time. It's human nature to have 'go to' students who we know will provide the correct answer. That student who has a real interest in the subject and wants to do well. It's also only right that we allow those who constantly put their hands up the opportunity to share their ideas. And why not? They have patiently followed the rules and politely raised their hands to explain their answer. Interestingly, Sadker and Sadker (1985) found that certain students in class answered questions three times more often than their peers, and 25 percent did not answer questions at all. And if we always go to those who are willing to share rather than those who might not be so forthcoming, these figures shouldn't be a shock. There is also a cognitive side to this as well. If we call upon Bjork's desirable difficulties and the testing effect, it is no surprise that Strother (1989) found that "students who regularly asked and answered questions, did better on subsequent achievement tests than students who did not". So being part of the questioning process can actually improve your understanding and learning over time. So why don't students involve themselves in questioning? It's difficult to pinpoint down a definitive cause but common themes are fear of getting it wrong or the way teachers control of the questioning process. Maybe students are worried the environment doesn't allow risks to be taken without criticism. Maybe the students simply feel the teacher isn't bothered about asking them because they have their regular 'go to' people.</div>
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Wait time </h3>
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Would you believe it that on average, it is said that teachers typically wait just one second after asking a question before looking for an answer (Walsh and Sattes, 2005). If that is true it means that students have less than a second to decode what it is you have said, processed it in their working memory, searched for relevant information in their long term memory, retrie......... You get my point. The key point here is that in my experience, the 'fear of silence' can play a nasty trick on teachers. With the constant lack of time, large amount of content to be covered, and dare I say it, various myths about what the big 'O' want to see, we feel that having a moment to pause and think before providing an answer will slow down a lesson and ultimately be detrimental. However, research in various quarters shows that allowing students real time (around 3 or 4 seconds) to actually think allows better answers to be provided. The need to be confident in setting this up could be transformational. On the other hand, it could simply be more time for individuals to daydream so careful structure is advised! </div>
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Depth of questions</h3>
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Fact recall is important. For example, in GCSE PE theory I may pose the question "What is an agonist during muscle movement?". It's a necessary retrieval question that highlights a key point and contributes to its storage in our memory. Asking such questions solidifies the fundamental knowledge that students need to know before being able to manipulate the topic. And this is where we need to up the ante and begin to ask more higher order questions. Once students can grasp the content then we need to stretch them by asking them to evaluate, compare, contrast, hypothesise, reflect and so on. Gall (1984) found that only 20 percent of the questions posed in lessons require high level thinking. This means that the remaining 80 percent is often low level. Now the research is mixed. Some see this as a barrier to deeper learning. Others see the use of constant recall questions as a great way to develop understanding. Either way, the point is we should be aware of the balance of question types that we pose in lessons. </div>
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Guess what's inside my head</h3>
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If you were able to pop into my lessons in my first 5 or 6 years of teaching you would have seen this more often than not. In my early days I wasn't skilled at asking questions and the game I seemed to play was 'guess what's in my head'. The obscure use of question, the confusing explanation or the extremely abstract point meant that students simply had no idea of what the answer could possibly be. It would cause frustration when I kept trying to tease out an answer that students simply were never going to say. Questioning is a skill that needs to be developed and we must be confident that the question we ask is clear for students to grasp. It must also be relevant otherwise students may simply miss the connection and the whole process becomes a confusing mess.</div>
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Responding to students answers (just moving on)</h3>
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When I talk about questioning to colleagues, something called IRE always comes up. It stands for Initiate, Response, Evaluate. In its worst form it simply involves asking a question, a student giving an answer, simply acknowledging the answer and then swiftly moving on. It makes the whole process less effective and could easily be tweaked. When a student provides an answer we need to ensure that we don't simply move onto the next question. The answers that students provide can easily be explored in a short space of time. If a misconception or error is made, this is perfect time to discuss the topic again and helping students see how the correct answer can be found. If the answer is an average one, we can work together to make it an excellent answer. And if it is an excellent answer, time can be spent discussing how this conclusion was reached so other students see the thought process. Now I am not suggesting that we spend time over every answer in the class. Nor am I saying that every subject or topic lends themselves to having time responding to answers. What I am saying though is as a teacher, do we furiously fire out questions, quickly collect answers before reloading and unleashing another fury of questions again? Spend time unpicking answers and responding to them (including other students in the process).</div>
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Give them the answer</h3>
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I see this a lot in inexperienced teaching and recall this point back to my own classroom. There are times when (probably due to the fear of lack of pace in lessons) we pose a question and then end up answering it ourselves. It happens with the best intentions but removes the responsibility from those in front of you. We feel that the lesson needs to be continuously moving and times when it slows becomes worrying. We also worry that if students don't know the answer, giving it to them will hide the cracks. What it does at its worst is create a culture where students don't think as hard as they could do and rely on the teacher enormously. If we don't know it, Sir will tell us. If we look confused, Miss will tell us. If we stay silent, we'll get given the answer anyway. When memory is the residue of thought (Willingham), maybe not giving them the answer straight away would be a smarter thing to do.</div>
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Questions that are too complex</h3>
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If the question we pose to students is so complex that students have no concept of a) what it is you have just asked, or b) what on earth you want them to say, then we have an uphill struggle. Questioning shouldn't be reduced to the most basic vocabulary or insult the intelligence of the students, but being aware of the language you are using as well as what is is you are trying to entice is crucial. If the question you pose is long, complicated and very technical, some support strategies to help answer might be helpful.</div>
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The hands up kids!</h3>
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There are those students who constantly have their hands up over and over again in lessons. They have a muscular endurance that sees them raise their arm repeatedly in lessons without ever crippling to fatigue. If we aren't cautious, lessons can end up with the same students answering the majority of questions. Lot's of strategies have come in to combat this to ensure the 25 percent of students who never answer a question (Sadker and Sadker, 1985) get more involved. This is great as students are now in an environment where they know a question may be thrown at them at any time and they must stay alert (and thinking). Confidence grows in those who previously did not participate and now questions can come from all corners of the room. But what about those who still want to put their hands up? What happens to their involvement? These students know the answer and want to share it. If they don't know it, they are comfortable in providing something that the teacher can help correct. If they don't get the opportunity to now share what they think, does this motivation or confidence in learning deteriorate? Are we penalising these students who want to contribute? Who knows? A point worth thinking about when using a well balanced questioning strategy.</div>
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Patience</h3>
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There have been many a time when I have become 'the impatient teacher'. These are times when a student is taking longer than I anticipated to answer a question. It becomes that time when a "this is painful" feeling crosses my mind and I quickly swap to another student. This process may mean that we get to the desired outcome quicker but what happens to the initial child who is contributing? Patience and guidance to help the initial student is vital. Simply skipping past them may make them feel that their contribution has been discarded and may develop less confidence in sharing ideas in the future. The thinking process has suddenly stopped. Having the time and patience during slow responses is important though. Helping students formulate verbally what it is they want to say is a skill that can be learnt. Modelling the process with them and providing additional cue questions also helps keep the thinking going so the student learns from the experience. </div>
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'I don't know'</h3>
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I could quickly lose count of the amount of times a student says 'I don't know' when asked a question. For whatever reason this crops up (genuinely they don't know the answer, easy option, not listening, not bothered....), accepting it can create the assumption that this type of answer is acceptable. Challenging it can be tough but breaking the cycle and making it not the norm can be hugely beneficial. Stick with the student, provide prompts, help scaffold an answer and provide direction. </div>
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<h3>
Only gaining one students insight </h3>
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This refers back to IRE (Initiate, Response, Evaluate). A lot of the time during my career my questioning ran along the lines of:</div>
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<li>Pose a question</li>
<li>Get a students response</li>
<li>Listen to it</li>
<li>Evaluate it</li>
<li>Say a simple 'Yes that's right' or 'No not quite'</li>
<li>Move on.</li>
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And that was it. I would be the John Wayne of the classroom, firing off questions all over the show and simply taking an answer and moving on. I would think that the isolated answer from that one individual would be representative of the entire class. If they got it right I would be safe in the knowledge the class knew it so off we go. If they got it wrong I would bang my head against the wall and then repeat what I had just taught. The problem with gaining just one answer is that it doesn't allow you to find out what the other 29 students think. What if they don't think the same? What if the correct answer makes no sense to them? What if they have a better answer? Gaining one students insight limits the capacity for us as teachers to take the temperature of the learning taking place in front of us. Questioning therefore should involve more people.</div>
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Wrong answers.</h3>
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What do we do when we are met with a wrong answer? Do we give the polite 'Not quite right Paul' and then move to another? Or, do we spend time probing rather than accepting poor answers and moving on. Wrong answers are actually quite helpful and may pull out common misconceptions that others may help. The key is to stick with the student and provide prompts. Helping them develop a more structured answer which is correct sets the expectation of the classroom. It helps students see that they can improve. Unfortunately I still see teachers receive an incorrect answer and brush it off before moving on. <br /><div>
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<h3>
<u>So what now?</u></h3>
<div>
Questioning therefore is more complex than I thought. But it's also easy to improve. Listing the common errors that I've made over the years makes it even more obvious that simple tweaks can make bigger gains. It goes back to the my repeated thought that 'If only I knew this back at the start' I would made bigger improvements in my teaching. But there's still time. So now I am aware of these pitfalls, what strategies could help counteract them? In my next post I will pick out some questioning techniques that are at least 1 percent better than those that used to haunt my classroom. Hopefully, they will try to demonstrate how we can make effective questioning actually become more effective.</div>
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D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-69713212293765876142014-05-31T09:56:00.003+01:002014-05-31T10:11:00.691+01:00Can I be that little bit better at......being an NQT mentor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In my personal opinion, one of the most rewarding aspects of a teachers career is becoming an NQT mentor. I have been in this privileged position for a number of years now. Each year you learn something new as you help support a new member of the profession in their initial year. No two NQT's are the same and it takes genuine thought to tailor the provision you provide. The role, like many, has great responsibility. It requires you to demonstrate a number of characteristics and approaches. With your NQT you share days of successes, days when things click, days when things don't click, days when they question if they're in the right job, and days of difficult conversations. You need to have the ability to strike the right balance and provide multiple roles at once.<br />
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Looking back to my experience as an NQT I was lucky enough to have a mentor who had such a balance. They had the drive to push and challenge me. The experience to direct me. The confidence to give me a good ticking off when I wasn't performing. In fact there were days when even I questioned what I was doing as a teacher. There were times when we didn't see eye to eye, but the majority of the days were ones where I felt truly supported.<br />
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The role does create times when as a mentor you really need to reflect and learn. Even after a number of years there are still times I feel that I could have, or should have, done something different. Something that would have helped my NQT refine their practice. In fact even with all my experience, I am still a million miles away from where I think I should be. And so with this thought, I collaborated with my current NQT to pull out some key things we feel could help make us be that little bit better as an NQT mentor.<br />
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<h4>
Regular drop ins with feedback</h4>
At times the regular or scheduled observations can seem too intermittent. Weeks can pass before we see our NQT's and in that time things can change immensely. There may be areas of success that we can reinforce and develop into habits. Alternatively there may be times when our NQT's are struggling and support is needed. We have to remain mindful that sometimes our NQT's won't come to us if they are struggling. If we don't know then how can we act? Keeping the fluency of observations through short informal drop ins can help immensely. It allows us to keep the finger on the pulse and allow us to have a more structured dialogue. We know what is happening therefore we can talk about what is happening. We can set a variety of objectives throughout the year which are meaningful and relevant because we understand. The main feature though is that these are informal (unless agreed otherwise) so that we see our NQT's in as natural an environment as possible. These shouldn't feel pressurised and shouldn't impose on observation guidelines. They are there to support.<br />
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<h4>
Make the meetings count</h4>
Time is very precious and our NQT's benefit from it more than usual. Many of us have scheduled meetings every week or fortnight. It is imperative that these meetings have a purpose and action is taken. Talk about what really matters. Whether this is about improving behaviour, developing questioning techniques, refining planning or applying feedback methods, this time is valuable and so crucial for NQT's. Spend as much of the time as possible reflecting on how they have been developing and then look at how to move forward. Almost every setback has a solution so spend time learning from mistakes. If things are going well, use this time to stretch them and focus on the next element of pedagogy that will develop their teaching. How you use this time is bespoke to your personal situation. But remember that this contact time could be the vital cog in helping your NQT develop in the direction they wish to go.<br />
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<h4>
Tell them what they don't know</h4>
NQT's are fantastic at asking questions but this is usually based around areas they have some knowledge about. As an NQT mentor it is your responsibility to help them find out the things they haven't even thought about. Use your knowledge and experience to make them see the bigger picture. I remember when I was entering my teaching career. I would openly admit that I was quite naive. Compare that to where I am now and there is a wealth of information, systems. strategies, knowledge and experience that I didn't even consider. A lot of it I didn't even realise existed. As a mentor it is up to us to ask timely questions to make NQT's think about things they hadn't considered. You did 'x' but what would happen if you did 'y'? Where are you planning to go next and will this help them achieve 'z'? If you had added 'a' to your lesson after your first activity, what would you think would have happened? Help NQT's see beyond where they currently are. Share you experience and knowledge. Don't impose but instead challenge. Allow your NQT's to develop their own style and personality but under your guidance. You play a bigger role than you think.<br />
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<h4>
Remember the basics</h4>
There are so many times that we observe, we analyse, we feedback, we set targets.......yet this is usually based around the fundamentals of teaching. Whether this is behaviour management, planning, questioning or 'rapid and sustained progess' (don't get me started!). Sometimes though our NQT's need help with the basic systems within a school environment. What does a good Year 8 report look like? How do you access KS3 assessment data? What do you do with it once you've found it? How do you add detentions to the school system? What is the feedback policy? These are the things that happen throughout the term but are easily bypassed as we focus on meeting the various teaching and learning standards. Don't forget these. Instead make them a priority as things like following behaviour policies and setting detentions can be invaluable to NQT's as they seek to develop their relationships with classes.<br />
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<h4>
Shared observations</h4>
It is very easy, normally due to time restrictions, to say "Why don't you go and observe Tim teach his Maths lessons. He's really good". The problem though is that NQT's can go to these lessons and not know what to actually observe. There is so much going on, so many dynamics, so many subtle practices and interventions that NQT's can struggle to pick them out. Where possible (and I know time plays a huge part) try and go with your mentees to observe a lesson. Give a live commentary and explain what you see. Ask questions to your NQT as you go on. What have they noticed. A key thing we found was that the experience of the mentor and being able to discuss and then apply it to NQT's own practice was invaluable. Find the time. Cover managers, line managers and even Heads of Departments should be able to free you up to help observe lessons with your mentee and make the experience more useful.<br />
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<h4>
Plant seeds</h4>
This is personally from our NQT experience, but one of the most valuable things they have found is the sharing of ideas which has made them go away and think about their own practice. At times, as a more experienced member of staff, we forget how much we have picked up. Things become second nature and our teaching style becomes habit. Discussions about teaching and learning came high up in things our NQT's liked the most. They loved drawing from our insight, knowledge and experience. Don't force your own preferred style on them but instead ask questions and direct them to possibilities. There may be times when a firmer hand is required, but having a conversation that makes an NQT walk away and think about what they could do next is so powerful. Reflection is such an important part of the profession. Direct them, link to others, share resources, provide reading, give examples and network around the school. Help plant the seeds so our NQT's can go away and try, adapt, refine, evaluate and develop.<br />
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<h4>
Help them grow</h4>
The continued support you offer as they refine their practice is important. Being available for a quick chat about things they are trying can be helpful (and it doesn't have to be formal). If they are working on one of their targets they may just want to bounce ideas around. Work with them and help map out the next few lessons, weeks or months. Set short term targets and have measures to tick off when they get there. Along with areas you have identified, talk to them and find out what areas they would like to develop professionally. What mechanisms can you put in place to help them get where they want to and need to go? They really value independence to go forward but the role you play in supporting them to get there is key.<br />
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<h4>
Be prepared to prune if needed</h4>
There will be times when you may need to have difficult conversations. The important factor here is to know your NQT. As I was training my mentor knew I could take a tough talking to as I would be motivated to respond. This approach wouldn't work for everyone and may actually do more harm than good. The thing to remember is that there may be a time that you need to be assertive. Talk things through, explain the issue/concern, plan steps to go forward and at all costs be reasonable and professional.<br />
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<h4>
Know the standards</h4>
Throughout the year there will be so many times that evidence for a standard <i>could </i>have been collected, only for us to miss it during the hustle and bustle of day to day teaching. Having an eye on the standards and knowing them will help you direct your NQT to things they are doing but might not have thought of. Our experience helps us identify evidence that may not be apparent to them. Collecting evidence can be a bit retrospective if we are not careful. I remember the mad few nights (as an NQT) trying to tick off standards I knew I had achieved but couldn't readily find evidence for. Use your meeting time to quickly reference standards and keep up to date. Little and often does the trick and makes the final signing off a smooth process. <br />
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The standards shouldn't also dictate what we do. It shouldn't be a robotic process. In one 'not so good' example, I have seen written lesson observation feedback simply being a list of standards. I'm not sure how helpful this is at all. <br />
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Finally, don't see standards as the end product. I value them as a benchmark but try to go beyond them whenever possible. Expand and raise the bar where you can but ensure you don't overwhelm your NQT. <br />
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<h4>
Target setting which works</h4>
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Target set together every time. Use observations and drop ins to form the basis of your targets as they are the clearest bits of evidence you collect. Have discussions about practice and areas of development. If you have seen that the level of feedback wasn't great in a number of lessons, spend time to discuss it and form a target around it. Map out steps to improve. Direct them towards resources. Break larger targets down into manageable chunks. Set a time frame so that you can see an improvement. As you have noticed a lot of these points come under setting good old SMART targets. The <i>process </i>of using the SMART method makes the <i>process </i>of target setting clear and manageable.<br />
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One important point raised by my NQT was having these targets very focused and specific. Together, as a target area, we looked at stretch and challenge for all. Instead of saying that <i>every </i>student in his classes must be catered for, we identified a group of four to focus on in each. A few weeks down the line and after trialing some ideas he felt confident he could do this. We then identified another group of four students and began the process again. The process helped him to gradually develop good habits rather than overwhelm him. He could spend time focusing improving his practice for a target group (more able, FSM, PP, less able....) which he could then replicate elsewhere.<br />
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<h4>
Be approachable and give time</h4>
As a mentor you are probably the 'go to' person for your NQT. The regular meetings you have are a great opportunity to discuss their progress. However, on a day to day basis issues may arise. A lesson may not have gone so well. A student may be causing problems. The photocopier might not be working. Their plan may not be challenging enough. As a mentor you need to make sure you are approachable. To an extent, let your NQT know that they can catch you throughout the day to ask you anything. I would rather they felt confident about going into each day than unduly worrying. The quick 2 minute chat in the staff room, office or classroom can be so valuable.<br />
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<h4>
Be professional</h4>
You are their mentor and not simply a friend. Developing a positive relationship is needed if the year is going to be a success but be sure that you remain professional. It's fine to grab a beer now and again or to socialise but be aware there may be times that you need to have difficult conversations or tackle issues in their practice. Keep that in mind. Also, if you yourself are not a role model then it may be difficult to expect them to make changes or respect your opinion.<br />
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<h4>
Know the school you work in</h4>
Your school and the teachers within it are a great resource. I guarantee you could probably list a few teachers in your head who are great with 'challenging' classes, who give really good feedback in lessons, who are fantastic at getting students to develop their written responses..... Know the strengths of the teachers around you and set up times for you and your NQT to observe them. Stretch outside of your department area as well. Seeing teaching and learning in a different setting can really help you pull out similarities, differences and core strategies being used.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifaZHurTBXx46dv7ACD5NcH5JoN2ZSZeBaXzUOrvOwvM2UD5uCVzktcRO552oo2RH8dxZDm9YUsbc3u3L2LV5Jmt7mviFovi93W664u1Gj-Dlp5gj4oWo0gvh0EEdgmUeMtjEOxfacJM_n/s1600/David+Brailsford.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifaZHurTBXx46dv7ACD5NcH5JoN2ZSZeBaXzUOrvOwvM2UD5uCVzktcRO552oo2RH8dxZDm9YUsbc3u3L2LV5Jmt7mviFovi93W664u1Gj-Dlp5gj4oWo0gvh0EEdgmUeMtjEOxfacJM_n/s1600/David+Brailsford.jpg" height="245" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h4>
Coach or guide?</h4>
I have been extremely lucky to have worked with Neil Suggett whilst learning the process of coaching. When working with any teacher across the school I always have this method underpinning how I have discussions. It allows the individual to unpick their practise and work out future steps themselves. You simply ask questions to keep the process moving. Coaching with NQT's can also be equally effective but you do need to be wary that they might not yet have the knowledge base to form their own development. They may need you to share your knowledge and experiences to help inform decisions. This is where maybe guiding them more directly would initially be beneficial. <br />
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<h4>
And finally...</h4>
This list is not exhaustive. It doesn't even cover all of the basics. What is does though (we hope) is pick up on things we sometimes might forget. One statement from my NQT summarised these points overall was this:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"All of these really revolve around one thing which is sharing ideas, knowledge and practice by discussions and observations. That would be the most valuable thing I have taken from this year and how I have adapted my teaching based on others"</blockquote>
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<br />D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-76722881676952215662014-04-20T11:53:00.002+01:002014-04-24T22:29:20.049+01:00Can I be that little bit better at.....designing a better GCSE curriculum? Part 1<h3>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I've been a GCSE teacher for a number of years now.
In that time I have seen the curriculum we deliver evolve into various
forms that serve our students as best as possible at that particular time.
If I remember back to the first few years of my teaching where I was
under the guidance of a very good former Head of Department, we had the whole
two years mapped out into organised blocks which easily kept me up to date and
on track. At any point in the course I could readily tell you where we
were and what was coming up. The structure was regimented and ensured we
reached the end of the course fully prepped for the exam. There were some
draw backs though. Every lesson was accompanied with a worksheet which
students filled in. It wasn't that inspiring but did ensure that the
theory element remained a strength of the department.</span></div>
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Over the years the curriculum changed. The department began to move away
from the worksheets and began using exercise books. There was more
freedom in the classroom for teachers to teach how they felt best supported
their students. We still remained on track and on target but not for the
reasons you may think. During this transition something had gone missing.
We no longer had a curriculum overview. We seem to have forgotten
to design schemes of work. The experienced teachers in the department
simply used their expertise and excellent team ethic to collaborate and deliver
lessons in an order, working around deadlines and ensuring we fulfilled the
course requirements to as high a standard as possible. We still had a
rough plan and knew what we needed to teach and in what order but nothing was
formally written down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The aim</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Now don't get me wrong, we know this wasn't ideal
but it just seemed to work. The theory element of our results has always
been above national average and our students seemed to succeed. However,
over the last year we have worked hard to address the oversight and implement a
new structure. Working with the amazing <a href="https://twitter.com/fbennett82"><span style="color: blue;">Fran Bennett</span></a> (seriously,
she is an exceptional teacher and colleague!) we have tried to design a
curriculum for our GCSE course that builds upon the great practice going on so
far. The aim of this process was to design a curriculum that both
promoted a very high standard of learning, as well as ensuring students <i>remembered </i>this
knowledge over time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Leading into this I had been reading more and more
into the field of <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/can-i-be-that-little-better-atusing.html"><span style="color: blue;">cognitive science/psychology</span></a>. What I read
built upon previous work I had come across in my own education (Anderson,
Schmidt, Thorndike etc). As part of the core foundation to the new
curriculum, we would look to implement elements of research into our planning.
These would notably come from the work of Curran, Willingham and Bjork.
<i>Could we design a curriculum in such a way that students could retain
their learning for longer and also reduce the need for intervention in the mad
rush that is exam season?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">We also looked very hard at what matters in our
subject and identified areas that should be a priority. Taking into
account what the specification and exam requires is one point, but we also
looked at other components that could truly benefit learning. We didn't
want the curriculum to be too rigid and monotonous. Instead we wanted it
rich with information, meaning and context. We looked to use articles,
case studies, real world experts and so on. The principles needed to be
tight but the day to day use of them needed to allow teachers freedom.
The structure and logistics of the curriculum are also built on some key
fundamental principles revolving around improved levels of <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Literacy"><span style="color: blue;">writing</span></a>, refined <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Feedback"><span style="color: blue;">feedback</span></a> opportunities, and enhanced levels
of challenge. All of these were based on previous ideas, practice,
experience and research, and allowed us to raise the level of our subject much
higher.<b><br />
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With all of these things in mind, could we be a little bit better at designing
a better GCSE curriculum than we previously had?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The bigger picture - The curriculum overview</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">It would be wise to point out that at this stage
the overview is a work in progress. We decided to focus solely on
redesigning our Year 9 to Year 10 theory course (omitting Year 11 for the
time being). This was due purely to the fact that we needed to be able to
plan, run and then evaluate the impact of our ideas before rolling it out
further. If it was having a negative effect on outcomes then we would
still have Year 11 to amend it. We also wanted to make the course
manageable and by designing it slowly and carefully we would ensure that what
we were putting into play would be consistent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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As I stated earlier, we have been looking at particular components of effective
teaching over the year. The process forced us to undertake a lot of
reading of research articles and focus more on evidenced based practice.
There were a number of findings that I will explain over a few posts that
really challenged our thinking and pushed us into some fantastic discussions.
In this post I will talk about how we went about implementing five key
findings from the world of <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/cognitive%20science"><span style="color: blue;">cognitive science/psychology</span></a> into our
curriculum design.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Implementing cognitive science principles</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Experience over the years has shown me that when
students reach the end of our course they seem to have forgotten chunks of it.
Gaps in their knowledge emerge and worry starts to set in. It seems
that although we taught them the specific content knowledge they need for each
topic, it has somehow become very hard for them to access it. All of the
results, data and anecdotal evidence at that particular time seemed to have
indicated that students knew that information a year ago. The problem is
that a year down the line and this is no longer the case. So is this
performance or learning?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The way we taught our GCSE course meant that
students performed very well during immediate questioning, discussions or
testing. What didn't seem to happen though is the ability to remember
this information later on in the year, or possibly towards the end of the
course. Now there are obviously some students who seem to understand and
remember everything, but there is still a strong majority who forget
information that we were certain was concrete. Some would remember things
when prompted, but there were still a number who had forgotten things taught
nearly two years before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">After a lot of reading of research articles and
publications (summarised <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/can-i-be-that-little-better-atusing.html"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a>), we were not surprised to find that
although a lot of our teaching was effective in the short term, there were a
number of 'tweaks' that we could make to ensure learning lasted over time.
We began to analyse what we could realistically implement into our first
trial of this new curriculum. Discussions focused around the ideas of
'Desirable Difficulties' from Bjork and general cognitive science principles
from Willingham. So what did we do? What were the cognitive
science/psychology principles we looked at designing our curriculum around?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">1 - Ordering our units</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">A number of researchers have stated the point that
knowing things makes it easier to learn new things (apologies for the
oversimplification of this). In designing our new curriculum we built
upon work that had been done previously in the department and ensured the order
of units made sense. We aimed to logistically place units in an order
that built upon the previous units’ information. For example, in Unit 4
we study ‘Physical and Mental Demands of Performance’. The unit covers
topics focusing around the various physiological systems in the body, as well
as some psychological factors as well. As an example, during this topic,
when students learn about the aerobic/anaerobic energy systems, they can draw
upon previous knowledge to help them. Unit 1 information can help them
understand why each individuals system may vary due to age, physique and so
on. Unit 2 can help them see why different types of athletes may have
time to train or even monitor these systems. Unit 3 may help understand
the various training methods that are required to improve either the aerobic or
anaerobic system. The stream of knowledge links.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The aim we tried to incorporate was to build upon prior knowledge so logically ordering what is taught first so it snowballs and draws upon old information. Building upon prior knowledge and learnt information makes learning new topics easier. This is down to the fact that new knowledge being processed in the working memory retrieves and builds upon the older information in the long term memory to form new connections. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The ordering also allowed us to tell the story of
sport and create a bigger picture. Obviously sport is a very complex
domain with a number of interlinking points but we can at least structure the
learning so that it follows an order and makes more sense to students.
The curriculum began with individuals, followed by how they are perceived, how
they raise their performance to succeed and finally what physiological changes
happen during this. This makes it much easier for students to process
this information in a methodical way (and potentially helping reduce the impact
on the working memory and cognitive overload).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><b>2 - Interleaving </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I won’t go into detail about the theory of
interleaving as I have written about it <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/can-i-be-that-little-better-atusing.html"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a>. It is sufficient to say that
cognitive scientists like Willingham and Bjork both agree that if students are
to remember a particular piece of information, they will need to revisit it
numerous times throughout the course. Traditionally we had followed a
method that is referred to as blocking. We would select a unit, teach it,
test for understanding and then move onto the next unit. This provided us
an accurate account of what students knew at that point. What we had done
though is compartmentalised learning. We had isolated groups of topics
into blocks. In the short term, student performance looked good. In
the long term, the result of this is that due to our GCSE starting in May
during Year 9, students in Year 11 struggled to remember back to information
from two years ago. We had not consciously made attempts to recap topics
from earlier points of the course. Therefore we can’t be surprised when
students forget things. Now obviously the more experienced teachers could
make these references when needed, but this was on an ad hoc basis and we
needed to ensure this was done with more thought.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Bjork proposes interleaving as one of the desirable
difficulties that may overcome this. The idea is that topics are repeated
throughout the course so students are forced to constantly retrieve
information. In its most effective form it may include regularly
switching topics and revisiting them repeatedly throughout learning. An
example might be spending time teaching diet in sport, then next lesson
focusing on physique, then focusing on gender and then coming back to diet and
so forth. This also allows students to identify links between topics and
compare information.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">In reality though, when we looked at designing the
curriculum this way we found it extremely difficult. I mapped out
(using a spread sheet) all of the topics that we taught, and then attempted to
break up their order so they became constantly repeated. I also tried to
space them effectively so that forgetting came into play. Working with
this system became very confusing and meant that we would run out of curriculum
time very quickly. It is definitely something I will be working on next
year within individual units. Instead, we have tried hard to tie topics
back into new learning so that students have to retrieve that knowledge and in
return increase storage/retrieval strength. For instance, in Unit 4
during the Circulatory system lesson, we have mapped it out that teachers tie
in the Unit 2 topic of ICT in sport looking at measuring heart rate and
training zones. These opportunities are no longer left to chance and are
mapped throughout the entire course. We now have students retrieving various
topics at relevant times throughout the course.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A look at Unit 2 and how it interleaves topics
from Unit 1</span><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I know it's not mathematically accurate and the
spacing gaps aren't as precise as we would like, but it's hard in reality to
transfer the best principles from research into practice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">3 – Spacing it out</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">You may have noticed in the point above that I have
mentioned spacing. I explain more about spacing <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/can-i-be-that-little-better-atusing.html"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a> but it is basically revisiting
information at spaced out times throughout a given period. As Bjork
explains:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">"It is common sense that when we want to learn information, we study that information multiple times. The schedules by which we space repetitions can make a huge difference, however, in how well we learn and retain information we study. The spacing effect is the finding that information that is presented repeatedly over spaced intervals is learned much better than information that is repeated without intervals (i.e., massed presentation)"</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Bjork also explains that the gaps between
revisiting this information is also very important. He suggests that each
time we revisit it, the subsequent gap before the next time should increase,
and then increase again and so on. The aim it to allow students to almost
forget the information. When they come to retrieve it again the strength
of it in your long term memory increases.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ebbinghaus, 1885 - Note the increasing gaps
between reviews and the decreased rate of forgetting.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">As I have explained through the process of
interleaving, it was really hard to space topics with the idea of increasing
the spacing between retrieval. How do I know when students are about to
forget something so I can then refer to it? With the spread sheet in hand
I again tried to map out increasing gaps over the year. Again I found
that we would run out of curriculum time in only a few terms. Instead we
decided to group topics together in their units rather than individually.
We also used the natural roll out of the curriculum to increase spacing.
For instance, in Unit 1 we mapped out times you would recover Unit 1
topics. When you get to Unit 2, you would have to revisit Unit 1 and Unit
2 information. When you go all of the way to Unit 4, you would have to
cover Unit 1, Unit 2 and Unit 3 information again. Because there are more
units to revisit, the gap between covering them again increases as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">4 – Testing that is low stakes but high impact</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Traditionally I have not been a great lover of
testing. It would be an option when needed but I didn’t see the full
benefit that it has on learning. Through the various readings we found
that the use of tests actually is a key factor in helping information to be
stored in the memory. The process of having to retrieve information
through a form of testing makes it more recallable in the future. We also
found that frequent testing has more beneficial effects than subsequent
restudying of a topic. In fact <a href="http://psych.wustl.edu/memory/Roddy%20article%20PDF's/Roediger%20&%20Karpicke%20(2006)_PsychSci.pdf"><span style="color: blue;">Roediger and Karpicke (2006)</span></a> found that in
one study, students remembered 61% of information from repeated retesting,
compared to 40% from repeated study.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">What we didn't want to do though is
create lessons of monotony with lessons crammed with exam question
after exam question. Instead we created opportunities and methods of
testing throughout the curriculum with various levels of pressure. We
therefore designed these four opportunities:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Note how in Unit 3 and 4 there are designated
times for Unit recap tests.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Low stakes testing</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> - In the testing column on the overview we spaced out (with
increasing gaps) times when we ask our teachers to test old topics. These
tests are low stakes tests but force students to retrieve information. We
created a list of ideas including ‘Write down as many things as you can about
topic x’ or ‘Challenge your partner, who can remember the most keywords from
Unit Y’ to ‘Mindmap/Spider diagram all the links between topic A and B’.
The guidance we gave teachers is that these tests must be done in the allocated
lessons and must last no longer than 5-10 minutes. They can be done as
bell work, a starter activity or even at the end of a lesson. Providing
answers should be quick and would be better if they could be done simply on one
Power Point slide. Students are now used to them as a sportsmen/women,
enjoy the challenge and friendly competition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Unit tests</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> –
Originally with our blocking of units, we would follow up learning with an end
of unit test. That test would purely focus on information from what has
just been taught. So in a Unit 4 test you would only see questions on
topics from Unit 4. This year we are including any question from any
previously taught unit. So in a Unit 3 test, you will now see questions
from Unit 1, 2 and 3. Teachers can formatively gather a sense of how well
that unit has been learnt throughout lessons, but now also summatively see how
they are doing within the full course. Doing this allowed us to get
students to retrieve old information and again increase its strength.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Multiple choice</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> – <a href="http://bjorklab.psych.ucla.edu/research.html"><span style="color: blue;">Bjork’s
work</span></a> made reference to the benefits of multiple choice
questions as a way of building up memory strength. We now use an
increased number of multiple choice questions throughout the curriculum.
In lessons we use hinge questions as one method on a regular basis. We do
this because if they are carefully crafted, the process that students take to
work out correct and incorrect responses helps improve retention. What we
do with these though is follow up responses. It could be easy for a
student to simply indicate an answer with no thought. We therefore create
discussions or opportunities for students to verbalise their answer, even if it
is incorrect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Pre-tests</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> – Based
on Bjork’s work we now run pre-tests at the very start of each unit.
These take the form of multiple choice and last no longer than 10 minutes so
curriculum time lost is very minimal. The process provides cues and is
thought to improve subsequent learning. It also helps teachers gain a
very quick insight into students prior understanding.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">5 – Problem solving</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">In the first chapter in ‘Why Don’t Students Like
School? Willingham explains that <span style="background: white;">the brain
spends a lot of this time helping us not to think. Instead it prefers to
do things automatically. But, Willingham states that it does like to
solve <a href="http://www.aft.org/pdfs/americaneducator/spring2009/Willingham(2).pdf"><span style="color: blue;">problems</span></a>. It is naturally curious. It
doesn't necessarily mean questions but we found this
quite effective for us. We therefore ensured that during each unit
we mapped out larger driving questions. For instance, in Unit 3, students
were presented with the thought:</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">“What factors do athletes need to
focus on in order to reach and maintain a suitable fitness level for their
sport?”</span></i></blockquote>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">This was shared in the first
lesson and everything that we subsequently learned built up a stronger ability
to answer that question. The question also allows us to tell a story
about particular aspects of sport and make the various connections between
topics.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">To finish</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">What we haven’t done is created a
robotic curriculum design. We aren't constricted by what we have read or
learnt. The field of cognitive science is still not totally certain about
all of its claims. What we have simply done is taken the opportunity
to use research to embed 5 simple principles that may help improve longer term
retention of information. Many of these changes are at the overview level
so don’t put pressure on teachers to teach differently or in a set way.
It has simply allowed us to logistically map out key points throughout the year
which we can focus on building memory strength. There are no tips or
tricks being used in lessons (unless staff wish to do so). Instead we are
using cognitive approaches to work hand in hand with learning to make it longer
lasting.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">In the next post I will look at
how we designed our curriculum to improve levels of writing, the impact of
feedback and the levels of stretch and challenge (with an A level twist!).</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Resources </span>(Click to download)</b><br />
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<b><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/jus1p1pjfk9u6z8/Pedagoo%20London.pptx" target="_blank">Pedagoo London 2014 presentation about our curriculum.</a> </b><br />
<b><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/sdc5xszexcym6k2/Year%2010%20GCSE%20PE%20Theory%20Overview.pdf" target="_blank">Copy of the curriculum overview.</a></b><br />
<b><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/9l98k7e5ejg97hj/Unit%202%20Pre%20Test.docx" target="_blank">Example of pre test.</a></b><br />
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Last month I wrote a guest blog post for Subject Support (which can be found <a href="http://teachingandlearning.org.uk/2014/02/02/developing-written-responses/" target="_blank">here</a>). It looked at ways that as a PE teacher I can improve the quality of students written work in theory lessons. Since then I have had a number of very unrelated conversations about this topic and worked with a number of colleagues on this same problem. Although I am not a specialist in this field, I am still a huge advocate that I have as much of a duty to develop students reading, writing and general literacy skills as any other colleague. Simply because I am a PE teacher should not be an excuse or reason why I should see this as the work of other departments (more often than not the English Department). I feel it unfair that I should feel the benefit of their hard work and do nothing with my students to help support, reinforce or move students competence in this skill forward. At our school we have a number of whole school literacy strategies that, as individual teachers or departments, we should be following to help develop students literacy. This is a positive set of strategies and ones which are designed to raise standards. They work and provide clarity for staff and students. There is the worry though within my own thoughts that if we are not careful, ensuring we are incorporating such strategies, we make the process a bit of a 'bolt on'.<br />
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For a long time (since the Literacy in PE project found <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/literacy-in-pe.html" target="_blank">here</a>) I have always thought that improving the standards of literacy within students should be something at the heart of teaching. As a colleague of mine once said (and undoubtedly borrowed from elsewhere), "We are all teachers of English". And he is right! Almost everything I do in my theory lessons involves students either verbalising their ideas in a coherent manner or providing a written response to a task, question, problem or challenge. Using sources, articles and various texts of varying complexities and varying length is also part and parcel of what I do. With this much need for students to clearly communicate or interpret literature, I have ample opportunity to drive the standards of literacy forward within my teaching without the need to run for a whole school writing mat or PEED poster. Now there are clearly limits to my expertise (as you will probably spot in the various grammar mistakes in this post!). I am not even on the same scale as English teachers or literacy coordinators. What I am able to do though is make how I design my lessons have a coherent message that literacy, particularly written responses, is of huge importance and something that I will strive my hardest to develop over time. So with this specific focus in mind, can I be that little bit better at developing the quality of students writing in my lessons? Hopefully the following ways might just be the first step in doing that.<br />
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Demonstrating great writing</u></h3>
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<h4>
Articles and texts</h4>
<div>
I am a huge fan of introducing various depths of reading in lesson. I find the traditional use of texts books a great starting point for information, but ultimately find them limiting on what they offer in terms a broader spectrum of writing. As a PE teacher I actively seek out various newspaper/media articles, scientific articles, extracts from books or even the odd research paper. The amount of literature that is freely available for my subject is extremely vast and very rewarding. Using, for instance, a scientific paper explaining how the use of carbon fibre as a material for making track bikes in cycling is a much richer source of information than using the generic text book. The use of specific or key terminology is much more beneficial and models a much higher level of academic writing which I ultimately hope my students can aspire to reproduce. As a teacher it is vital that students are exposed to such vocabulary so that they can then develop confidence in using them in the future. They also contextualise the content that I am delivering and allow students to make meaning of some very technical information. Articles are a fantastic way to stimulate discussion with students and can be unpicked very easily with the class. Looking at how sentence structure and various tones are used can be as important to highlight with students as the content itself. Choosing the correct text for students is incredibly important though. Using tools such as the Google Reading Level Filter (see <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/engaging-students-with-texts.html" target="_blank">here</a>) can help select user friendly material that is pitched at the various reading levels. Taking the time to search, read and share such materials is excellent time well spent and has the potential to reward students writing immensely. </div>
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<h4>
Examples of excellence</h4>
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If you have never read Ron Berger's 'An ethic of excellence' I would urge you to do so. The book is an absolute gem of a read and clearly explains various steps to help develop the quality of students work. Throughout the book Ron talks about his use of exemplar material with his current students. The vast majority of this work is produced by students from earlier years. The remaining materials are sourced from the field of work in which his class are studying (an actual scientific paper if his students are producing work within a science topic). Ron uses these high quality exemplars as examples of excellence. He uses them for many reasons but the one that resonates with me the most is how he uses them to help his students develop their writing. Analysing these excellent pieces of work with his class allows them to be opened up to a world of high quality writing. By sharing them with his class he is exposing them to a level of literacy and a variety of styles that they might not have ever seen before. It's this level of inspiration that can help provide clarity for students when embarking on extended writing tasks. The process of sourcing these examples is relatively easy and one that I encourage all of us to do. Scan your students books and pick out brilliant pieces of work. Look through assessment tasks and find high quality answers. Revisit homework's or projects from previous years and pick out the best that students have submitted. If not, look to industry to find relevant exemplars which can be used with students and provide sufficient challenge which they can aspire to. If we aren't sharing high quality writing, do students actually know what it looks like?</div>
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<h4>
Modelling......</h4>
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Using the various texts, examples of excellence or your own written responses, we can model particular styles of writing or structure that would help our students. Modelling work allows our classes to visualise and understand the high standard of work that we expect. It can give students that clear example of what we are aiming for. Models also provide an opportunity for us to demonstrate excellent structure, vocabulary use, styles of writing and use of grammar (among other things). As a teacher I aim to model work as much as possible. Using the white board to project an example or simply sharing copies as handouts allows me to talk through what makes this particular pieces of writing high quality. The exemplar can also be a great tool and allow students to discuss, analyse and even rewrite some of its sections. The model itself then becomes 'live' and evolves. Where it is applicable, I also use a camera (or visualiser) to quickly take photos of students work as it happens. Displaying this on the screen with students allows me to show high quality work being produced by one of their peers. Doug Lemov talks about a similar technique called '<a href="http://teachlikeachampion.com/blog/katie-mcnickles-show-call/" target="_blank">Show call</a>' which involves a teacher randomly selecting students work to model via a visualiser during lessons. The process shows how work is achievable and increases the quality as any piece of work can be selected. Finally, some of the best models I have seen have been those produced by teachers themselves. I'll talk more about this later in the next paragraph.<br />
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<h4>
...deconstructing examples....</h4>
Although modelling work can be an extremely effective tool, it can also be seen as a step too far for a number of our students. Occasionally students see these models and fear that this level of work is unobtainable. They worry that the progression from their own style to this is too big a jump. This is where a teacher can use their skill to deconstruct it with students and scaffold the process of achieving writing of this level. At the lesson planning phase think about the model you will be sharing. What stages did the writer take to get it to this level? How did they plan this piece of writing? What key features enable the writer to produce work of this standard? How would you go about trying to emulate this quality? Why did they use terminology or vocabulary the way they did? How big a step is it between your classes current writing the model exemplar? The key is to look at the model through the eyes of a student you teach. If the answers to the various questions above result in too many problems or too high a level of challenge, it may require you to rethink your model. Once the model is suitably challenging, the process of deconstructing it is very helpful. Show them the process of how writing of this level was achieved. Break down various sections of the text and build them back up. Construct examples with your class on the board using the various stages so students see how the process works in action. These phases of a lesson can produce the biggest lightbulb moments. If you are brave enough, answer the question yourself in lesson. Gather students around and show them what your thought process and technique was to construct your opening sentence, or your second paragraph, or your conclusion...... The list of options is endless. Having such a live demonstration unwinding right there in front of them is a perfect opportunity for developing standards. The process after that is how to scaffold.<br />
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<h4>
...and scaffolding work</h4>
In my eyes, scaffolding should be used up unto the point where the writer is ready to be set free. The use of writing frames, PEED, success criteria and other techniques are a great to get the process initiated. When scaffolding how to answer long answer questions (8 marks) in my lesson, I will frequently use IDEA as a way to structure their writing. The process, supported by modelling and deconstructing examples, allows students to begin their writing. It allows them to have a plan and thought process behind how they tackle the answer. It also encourages students to think and plan in a way that they might not have initially thought of. In a cognitive science role, it minimises cognitive overload and allows students to map out their thinking. It makes the initial process clear. The goal though is not to have the scaffold left on forever. Nor is it to make the process of writing 'easy'. My aim is to allow students to become competent enough before finally releasing them to create writing that is fluent, academic and rich in character. <br />
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<h3>
<u>
Developing specific terminology</u></h3>
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Many of the students that I teach in GCSE PE can clearly verbalise what they are thinking. The detail in their answers and explanation of meaning is really quite good when spoken to me. They may waffle on or taper off but their ideas are generally sound. Unfortunately a number of students I work with find it difficult to get this on paper in a coherent manner. They struggle to produce academic writing and frequently use generic language or write how they speak. As a GCSE subject we need to work hard with students to develop their vocabulary and use of specific terminology. We then need to introduce them to a breadth of subject specific words that help develop the strength of their writing. Apart from the various use of texts and modelling outlined above, how can I begin to do this?</div>
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<h4>
Planning to introduce key terms with meanings throughout
lessons or scheme</h4>
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Some students have a limited range of vocabulary compared
to peers and this gap can continue to grow throughout life. Specifically identifying key words and
technical terminology that is not only shared but explained and then used in
context can be a simple way to increase the range of word use. In our department we identify key vocabulary throughout the course and ensure that these are shared with students.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<h4>
Keeping a glossary of terminology </h4>
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A simple idea in
which a spare few pages at the back of an exercise book can be transformed into
glossary of key words. The key though is
to ensure meaning is understood. Too
many times I have seen students misinterpret a word and confuse its meaning in
written responses. Once this glossary is populated, we then need to ensure students use them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<h4>
Focusing on these key words</h4>
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Sharing them and even
getting students to write new vocabulary in a glossary or similar format is
fine. As the teacher we need to not
think of that as a job done but more importantly design opportunities for students
to focus on using key words. This can
come in the form of specifying words that ‘must be included in your sentences’
or even as simple as underlining/highlight these new words in use. The more frequently that students use this academic vocabulary the better. The aim is for this level of language to become habit and for students to use it wherever suitable to support their written work.</div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<h4>
Expanding general vocabulary </h4>
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Bringing in new subject
specific terminology is high on most teachers’ minds (especially in subjects
like PE or Science) but do we sometimes focus on this subject specific element
and forget standard vocabulary? Working
with students to create ‘alternate words’ or synonyms for general language is
very important and should be encouraged by us all. Making lists that students can select from
can be a great way to expand their range of vocabulary. Simple things such as instead of using a word
like ‘happened’, students select from a list including ‘transpired, occurred,
ensued, materialised’. Many teachers have shared examples using paint colour cards or 'juicy words' which students are encouraged to use.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<h4>
Vocabulary Upgrade </h4>
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A great idea borrowed from <a href="https://twitter.com/TeacherTweaks" target="_blank">@TeacherTweaks</a> where students check their work before submission and look to upgrade the depth of vocabulary they have used. A teacher may prompt students to improve 5 words used in a particular piece of writing. Students may look to replace generic words with specific terminology or even expand general vocabulary as explained above. The process can also be done in pairs or even through a wider forum such as gallery critique.<br />
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<h4>
Redundant words</h4>
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When working with journalists last year on a PE project, they were excellent at informing students to focus on 'redundant words'. In their industry column inch space is extremely valuable. When going through the editing phase, journalists will cut out words that simply aren't needed. Many of these are common words such as 'the' or 'that' or 'and'. Getting students to work similarly when writing is a great way to cut out the random waffling that occasionally takes pace. After students have written out their answers/essays, have them re-read it and spot opportunities to take the word count down. Can they restructure a long sentence into something move succinct by removing redundant words and reordering the order? </div>
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<h3>
<u>
Constructing sentences</u></h3>
<div>
Once students have begun to develop their vocabulary it is essential that they can use them in a coherent manner. Constructing sentences for some can be a challenge in itself. Our subject requires students to explain their understanding of specific topics very clearly. It also requires them to support their understanding with application and meaning. We also have numerous definitions and key words that are required to be defined before contextualised within a sporting example. Before the level of modelling and deconstructing working examples, are there any methods I can use to get students to begin to formulate high quality sentences?</div>
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<h4>
Sentence starters – with a difference!</h4>
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For a while now I have been very adverse to sentence
starters. I always felt the ‘generic’
ones that were shared around were too flat and uninspiring. Essentially they provide a starting point for
developing written responses, but I always felt they lacked challenge or
freedom to be creative. Do they really
make students think about what they are writing? Doug Lemov completely reversed my thinking
with his post '<a href="http://teachlikeachampion.com/blog/first-glance-sentence-starter-adds-unexpected-rigor-writing/" target="_blank">At First Glance: A Sentence Starter Adds Unexpected Rigor to Writing</a>'. In the post, Doug explains that taking the time to create challenging yet thought provoking sentence starters such as 'At first glance....' is a simple but powerful tool. The unusual three word prompt, chosen specifically to challenge students, allowed them to articulate some very high responses. What is the topic you are covering? What response do you want students to write? Can you create an interesting three word starter?</div>
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<h4>
Four part process– defining words and creating beautiful
sentences</h4>
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Getting students to define and then craft beautiful
sentences is a great skill. There are a
number of fantastic methods to help students structure and support students in
the process. One way that I have found
incredibly effective is the four part process borrowed from <a href="http://whatslanguagedoinghere.wordpress.com/2013/11/10/red-scare-unit-lessons-1-to-3/">Lee
Donaghy</a> (who in turn borrowed it from Helen Handford). The process is excellent
for defining a key term, idea or piece of terminology. It forces students to take this point and
create a structured sentence from it, incorporating the definition and
meaning. Students pick out the
information being defined. They then
select a verb or process that will help link it to the definition. The important element of the meaning is then
added so that a full sentence can be read across the framework. The process isn’t just finished there
though. The teacher models how to
redraft it, constantly refining it so that the sentence becomes more academic
in nature. The process of co-planning
and coaching the students helps them understand the requirements needed to
build this definition into a response of very high quality.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<h4>
Live writing</h4>
<div>
As I mentioned earlier, this involves the process of the teacher taking examples of writing as it happens in the lesson. This can come from either students or from the teacher. As students begin to compose their sentences, the teacher can take examples of these and share them with the rest of the class. Through discussion, analysis and feedback, the sentence can be restructured and improved in front of the class. The process involves all students via the co-construction of new writing. It also clearly demonstrates the process of writing excellent sentences.</div>
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<h4>
Excellent sentences</h4>
<div>
Share examples of sentences that answer a particular question or essay title. Ask students (either individually or in pairs/groups) to rework these sentences until they are refined enough to become high quality. Discuss the process of the redrafting and get students to explain why they changed the various components that they did. The teacher could specify exactly what the students should focus on whilst reworking them (use of key terminology, redundant words etc) or simply allow them the freedom to adapt them independently.</div>
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<h3>
<u>Extended writing</u></h3>
<div>
There has become an increasing need for students within GCSE PE to produce extended writing. The various 8 mark questions within the AQA paper require students to pool together a variety of topics or pieces of information and relate them back to a scenario character. This requirement happens twice within the exam and requires a lot of thought from students. Even if this wasn't the case, helping students develop their extended writing is such an important skill to learn. As non specialists, are there ways in which we can support and teach students how to write longer pieces of work?</div>
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<h4>
Make extended writing the norm</h4>
<div>
Our GCSE curriculum model has a strong core literacy strand. As the terms go on, we ask our students to develop their writing piece by piece. When they get into the third unit we ask focus on exposing our students to as many opportunities for writing longer pieces as possible. The use of 6-8 mark questions within lessons or even open ended driving questions allows us to create opportunities for focused writing to take place. The use of higher mark questions can also be an excellent tool for driving content and checking student understanding. <br />
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<h4>
I.D.E.A – Writing longer responses</h4>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the past, many of the students who answered long answer questions in our subject simply listed 6-8 points and believed this sufficient. The requirements of the exam actually asks students to refine their ideas into a few points and explain them in detail. It involves students seeing connections between various topics and comparing, analysing, evaluating and explaining relationships between them. Writing frames can be incredibly beneficial to help
structure this process. Many
people are familiar with PEED, but we use IDEA instead. The process asks students to following the
following steps:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I – Identify</b> – The piece of information or aspect that
they would like to talk about.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>D – Define/Describe</b> – State the definition or describe
the thing you are focusing on.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>E - Explain</b> – In your own words, demonstrate that you
understand the meaning.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>A – Apply</b> - Relate it to an example or put it into
context.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Students plan out their written response using the
framework as a guide. When you combine
the four elements, it produces the basis of a well thought out paragraph. For longer answer questions (like the AQA
GCSE PE 8 mark questions), this process can be repeated a number of times to
explore different points. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It is important to stress though that IDEA is the
beginning of developing improved written responses. After students have sufficient skill in
various techniques, the framework should be removed to allow students more
creative freedom in their writing.</div>
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<h3>
<u>So where now?</u></h3>
</div>
<div>
This is just the beginning and hopefully a step away from having literacy as a bolt on to our subject. What we feel is that literacy is now a core component of our subject and the need for students to write has become common place. We are still a million miles off and developing our own understanding of writing is high up on our priorities. There are still elements of grammar, sentence structures and advanced things like nominalisation which are well above my understanding. They are however areas that we are working hard to develop in order to make the way we support our students writing that little bit better.</div>
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D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-46874838815581302892014-01-19T18:46:00.002+00:002014-01-19T18:46:42.833+00:00Can I be that little better at….knowing what high quality work looks like?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqLMy40v0sPs_YhYEFPOMmOBMES4CE6YE5am7F8pDnqp63XdlDEzj8KXwOBa5IG4tzeQrSksv8nQJYMc-ugE7dPEU5995sTBoZm0Z_LC9wBnAcfStMVKUqmC59Xv_wJ3j2_bpDPl-vatbI/s1600/Mona_Lisa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqLMy40v0sPs_YhYEFPOMmOBMES4CE6YE5am7F8pDnqp63XdlDEzj8KXwOBa5IG4tzeQrSksv8nQJYMc-ugE7dPEU5995sTBoZm0Z_LC9wBnAcfStMVKUqmC59Xv_wJ3j2_bpDPl-vatbI/s1600/Mona_Lisa.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></div>
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There are times when you catch up with a colleague in school
and have a conversation that completely spins your thinking on its head. Last week I had such a conversation with a fellow
teacher. There were a few emails about
effective methods of feedback going back and forth between two colleagues. Somewhere in the dialogue I was cc’d in to
share my thoughts. I did what was
easiest and said I’d pop along to their classroom and have a chat. I showed one of the teachers a few ideas and
we spent a little time looking at how I have been using feedback
questions. I talked about how the method
causes students to think and hopefully help close the gap between where they
currently are and where they should be.
The method creates a dialogue between staff and students and is as easy
to provide as simple comments. I then
explained that feedback should be evenly distributed to all students. If not, those who have made a number of
mistakes have far more comments/scribbles on their work than those that do
not. This can cause students to believe
that if there’s a lot of feedback, my work must be wrong. Instead I put forward the point that even the
best pieces of work should receive equal amounts of feedback as we look to
stretch and extend. My colleague
agreed. Then he said something I had not
yet thought of. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“You and I could probably quickly and easily think of
feedback to push work further and further, but does every teacher in every department
know what high level work, answers and knowledge looks like? What about PGCE/ITT/NQT students? Do they have the experience to be able to
extend every student? Do they actually
know what an A* paragraph or essay actually looks like? You would assume that because we all have
degrees we could, but I know from my own experience that in the first few years
of my teaching, what I was probably doing in cases like this wasn’t that
great”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Within an instant a wash of memories came flooding
back. He was right. When I remember back to my first few years of
teaching, my ability to stretch and challenge was nowhere near as good as it is
now. I knew the topics I was teaching to
an extent but could I really push those who were at the top even further. Could I extend those students who seemed to
have mastered the topic I was teaching them?
At the time these students either scared me or stumped me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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If I was also being honest, did I actually know what high
level work consisted of? Do I even know
now? Am I able to offer the correct
advice to make work actually great or is the guidance I give simply my own
perceptions which may ultimately be incorrect?
Do we inadvertently teach them the wrong things when work gets to a
certain level? <o:p></o:p></div>
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When a student produces what in my eyes is a fantastic piece
of work, would my colleagues (or even the exam board) agree? If two students produced what seemed on the
surface to be a very high level work, could I accurately distinguish why one
piece was better than the other and what I could do to move it forward still?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another point that passed through my mind was as a teacher,
do we spend more time giving feedback to correct misconceptions? What sorts of comments do we give those in
the class who have suitably mastered the content we have provided? Do we breeze past excellent pieces of work
with a few ticks and a complimentary ‘well done’? Is an A* piece of student work the end of the
road where we can happily tick off ‘another student who will pass the course’
and not provide anything constructive in terms of advice? Would we even know what to say to make it
better?<o:p></o:p></div>
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My colleague also talked about the feeling of isolation in
our rooms as we teach lesson after lesson.
Back in his early years he felt unsupported by his Head of Department
and therefore muddled along himself, realising now that he was probably doing
things wrong. Did he at that stage know
the depth of knowledge in his subject well enough to be able to guide students
through to excellence? Did he know how
far he was expected to teach? On his own
with minimal guidance, did he know what a high standard in all aspects of his
subject was? No one had ever told him so
he wasn't so sure.<o:p></o:p></div>
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All of these considerations had been ones that I probably
had on a daily basis. As the years pass
on the experience and understanding of our subject probably covers over some of
these as we learn what we should actually be doing. Some of these probably still surface from
time to time though. I know I still have
moments where a student asks me for advice on an excellent piece of writing and
I have to take a minute. And even then I
worry that my advice would be nothing compared to say, an English teacher, for
example.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So even now as what might be deemed as an experienced
teacher, am I certain that I have the knowledge to know what a high standard of
work looks like in every topic I teach?
Have I fallen into the monotony of teaching what is required to pass the
course? And do I have the ability to
stretch even the most able students in my class? Can I be that little bit better at knowing
what high quality work looks like?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-76MZMcV6SOfMaPe0h1M3HqEyrMCs9aEMtgl_FDXZWkQvvYfn9rxrOtO7P_pFWoncXsp_ZJjzbnnpReN06VNcC91Ai0_5YwR5s3zAZE_b53fDC9X3y6Tdmz5dKFTL0dd9_wNm53IicDDx/s1600/pe_story2_Page_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-76MZMcV6SOfMaPe0h1M3HqEyrMCs9aEMtgl_FDXZWkQvvYfn9rxrOtO7P_pFWoncXsp_ZJjzbnnpReN06VNcC91Ai0_5YwR5s3zAZE_b53fDC9X3y6Tdmz5dKFTL0dd9_wNm53IicDDx/s1600/pe_story2_Page_1.png" height="320" width="226" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Examples of excellence – students</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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In the spirit of Ron Berger, keeping copies of excellent
work from past students can be an absolute goldmine for future lessons. We all know when we have come across a
beautifully written piece of work that meets the highest criteria. At this time, instead of filing away for
moderation or assessment, keep a copy to use with other students. These pieces of work can be used in many ways
during lessons ranging from modelling, scaffolding and critiquing. Demonstrating the depth of knowledge and
necessary skills to produce work of this high standard can be an excellent
teaching opportunity. It sets the
aspirational level and requirements needed to reach it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>Examples of excellence – teachers and experts</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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How many times as teachers have we attempted to complete one
of the tasks we set our students?
Ultimately I know that time amongst other things rarely allows us the
opportunity to do so. Using student
examples therefore bridges this gap and creates a resource. The problem here though is that students
themselves are not as ‘expert’ in the subject as we are. Their knowledge isn't as in depth as ours so
the level of work they are producing reaches a peak. Finding time or even an opportunity to
complete the task ourselves provides an example of excellence that (I hope!)
goes beyond the level required. I know
of teachers who actually do the same task as students in class at the same time. Brilliant!
This higher standard of work again can be used in a multitude of ways in
lessons to further stretch and challenge the work students will attempt. And it doesn't have to end there. In fact I think we can go further still and
actually look for real experts. If
attempting to write a newspaper article, isn't it possible to gather a bank of
actual articles from real journalists that cover a range of writing
styles. Just as used in ‘An Ethic of
Excellence’, these pieces of work can be unpicked and help students go well
beyond the limits of subject specific criteria.
We can use these to see what actual great work looks like. </div>
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<b><u>Teach beyond the curriculum </u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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There are times when the curriculum or exams feel like they
mould what and how we teach. Worrying
about meeting the ‘required course content’ set out by governing bodies or exam
boards means that we sometimes focus on what is in front of us. The numerous conversations I have heard where
a teacher tells a student ‘You don’t need to know that, that’s college stuff’ do
have elements of sense. If grades and
performance are ultimately how we are being judged by, why risk going off of
the beaten track to teach something extra.
But surely we should be looking beyond our curriculum at relevant times. Being aware of what the A/S or A level
syllabus contains is a starting point.
What is the leap between GCSE and beyond and can we reach out and grab
elements of it in our lessons? Knowing
what the higher level courses contain can help us understand the level of
‘great work’ students in our subject should be producing. Can we go further still and pull in richer
examples from the world of work? Are
there various sectors that tie into your subject that could push the learning further? It is a brave thing to look at the curriculum
as baseline of what should be covered, something which is seen as the minimum
requirement. It is a brave thing to use
that as the foundation which can be built upon further to create a great
curriculum which ultimately leads to great work.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocTRNcqfBLNejNy5AwluS_okPuwHF7geMeMhYrHFxf_lOlMkmKXG6d69kuYthtCzmovkU1AvTvkMRuuUj-2vpqG6rVkou63xKgrb0bkcqF718hdEadOSfy6EHLRgqw7tR29CeV6HRoTwh/s1600/Report.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocTRNcqfBLNejNy5AwluS_okPuwHF7geMeMhYrHFxf_lOlMkmKXG6d69kuYthtCzmovkU1AvTvkMRuuUj-2vpqG6rVkou63xKgrb0bkcqF718hdEadOSfy6EHLRgqw7tR29CeV6HRoTwh/s1600/Report.png" height="320" width="284" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Examiners’ report</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Readily available after exams are the various qualification
providers and provide a wealth of information.
They summarise the quality of answers from the previous examination
which can help teachers work out what is missing from a high quality piece of
work (at least in the examiners eyes).
The reports show various misconceptions and provide guidance of how to
improve. As a starting point for looking
at what at least a full mark answer looks like, this can provide an excellent
insight.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>Collaboratively planning</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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There are too many times that teachers can feel isolated in
their classroom. With 5 period days, responding
to emails, marking, assessments and so on, some teachers rarely find time to
leave their four walls. But if we are
looking to see what a high quality standard of work looks like, using
colleagues can be an essential resource.
When planning a task, think about what the outcome will be. Using a colleague to unpick the criteria to
meet this outcome can help immensely.
Collaborating to work out the set standard and truly identify what an
excellent standard really looks like can be invaluable. Having that extra piece of experience and
knowledge can help you understand the requirements of what great work really
looks like.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>Dedicated departmental time</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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How often in departmental meetings do you spend actually
looking at what high quality work in the current or upcoming topics is. Do you spend time as a team working out what
an A* (and even beyond) piece of work in this unit will be? Do you bring along previous pieces of work
from last year’s students and collaboratively critique it so all staff know
what level we are aiming for? Do you
answer some of the higher level questions or tasks as a team, taking note of
what content is essential to meet it? Do
you collaboratively analyse the various materials like the syllabus and
examiners’ report to see how to develop students work further? Meetings like these in the run up to new
units can be a life line to both new and experienced teachers. Are you confident that <b><u>everyone</u></b> in the department is knowledgeable, and fully
supported, to know what high quality student work should look like?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>Subject specific reading</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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I have probably spent the majority of my time this year
reading about general teaching and learning and less about my subject. Although in the pedagogical sense I haven’t
plateaued, have I allowed my subject specific knowledge to do so? Keeping up to date on your subject should be
essential. What are the new
developments? What has changed? What new literature could be used with
students? How have businesses, jobs and
the real world developed in your subject?
Keeping up to date in our areas of expertise is essential in helping us
incorporate stronger and more challenging learning in our subject.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>Cross moderation</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Whether this is a set annual process as a department or a
more flexible opportunity between colleagues, comparing and cross referencing
students work can be incredibly helpful.
How easy can it be to pop to another teacher’s room with a couple of
students books to quickly analyse? Or
even compare marking or assessment of a piece of work? On paper it seems very easy. In reality it means finding time. But I believe it is time well spent. Many schools create the culture where doors
are open and observers welcomed. But how
about creating a culture where we can openly analyse the work of each other’s
classes. There is always a sense of
nervousness and worry that pride/reputation may be at stake. What if the work my students are producing is
not as good as a colleague? This
shouldn’t be the case though. If we can
have people analyse what we as teachers do in a judgemental way in
observations, surely the supportive analysis of your students’ books by a
colleague should be a welcome opportunity.<o:p></o:p></div>
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D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-1719428830455455032013-12-31T11:33:00.002+00:002013-12-31T17:10:21.104+00:00Can I be that little bit better......in 2014?2013 was the first <i>full</i> year engaging with Twitter and blogging. It's been a little different from 2012 due to the fact I have a 1 year old. Family time means that tweets and blog posts have slowed down a little (31 posts in 2012, 12 posts in 2013) and I have had to be more selective in what I can realistically get around to write. Many things I have written have been either influenced by current reading or tied into my professional development. Everything I have written though has been done so to make what it is I do that little bit better. The response to many of the posts online has also been great and it has been nice to see various people have conversations around them. As 2014 arrives, I thought it might be nice to reflect on some of the posts I have been most proud of in 2013. So here is my top 8 from 2013<br />
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<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/the-big-solo-and-pbl-mash-up-part-1.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9eR-sK-dUhe8bWcYqJ6nBXKCxsf3Wy8U33z5y7bs8e3kmZ68_nU_trgdLOvv1E0Bi_2HCTB6BPX1p_cQXE1GjtAE5Zhk5hlHaf5azdlVLcZYZCvT4-FsqFzVKO1BXv-v8Go1q4FO2Y7mP/s320/PBL.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/the-big-solo-and-pbl-mash-up-part-1.html" target="_blank">8 - The Great Big PBL and SOLO Mash Up</a><br />
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Towards the end of 2013, after reading An Ethic of Excellence by Ron Berger, I picked the brains of Darren Mead (@DKMead), Tait Coles (@TotallyWired77) and Martin Said (@saidthemac) and began putting together a plan to run a PBL project with my Year 11 GCSE class. This has to be one of the best things I have ever done, and one experience that really made me reflect on the way I teach my students. As a result of what I was doing, I was kindly asked to talk about this in a workshop at #PedagooLondon by the amazing Helene Galdin-O'Shea (@hgaldinoshea). Here is a overview of how I ran my PBL project, including the 10 principles I followed. Even if PBL isn't your thing, it may get you thinking about how you approach teaching and learning. <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/the-big-solo-and-pbl-mash-up-part-1.html" target="_blank">Read here</a><br />
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<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/engaging-students-with-texts.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcps2j5AXjnAgnmBuocbKV57aLrbEhUUJ-cboanrh2AYQZ4UzT-dOjGECxQmKx5LWpEKsvx4Sh6ehjINlHvFXUZcYeGJ09o54K8AjnLSVCrCqZZGeUPZNurWiGrJuin1yqtSeheEFta_iE/s320/Texts.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/engaging-students-with-texts.html" target="_blank">7 - Engaging students with texts</a><br />
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In March our school ran an INSET with a focus on literacy. The day was all run in house (it's what we always do) and I attended a session which focused on how to get students to pick up a text before you even ask them to do anything with it. How many times had I given out things to read but never actually thought whether they would actually do it. This session made me really think about how I chose texts, how I presented texts and how I planned to get my students to read the texts. The post summarises some ideas about how to do just that. <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/engaging-students-with-texts.html" target="_blank">Read here</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/making-revision-work.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjh0aBRQswPzgfFhikoNTQJycxTYIxny0Li_O1YoTq5kO__hwVcU59jjnu9pI8jVKoIkiPgLOw5lM99v0OY02GKCzRB0D8zhxGSwfiaJFmJINNnUu_JVJSmpgslMQ0rO0pzTYzKzdLkQwg/s320/Revision.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/making-revision-work.html" target="_blank">6 - Making revision work</a><br />
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For a few years now, a colleague and I have run various 'How to revise' sessions for the students at our school. These have come in the form of assemblies, parents information evenings and classroom based lessons. A lot of it has been based on various principles batted around in books/internet, but this year I thought I would look at actual methods that we could use that work. The post looks around some cognitive science/psychology ideas, combined with a few teaching and learning strategies I magpied, that came together to create one of the most effective revision lessons I have ever run with my GCSE classes. I still use this now. <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/making-revision-work.html" target="_blank">Read here</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/can-i-be-that-little-bit-betterat.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0lWrF6JAj4jDMfyjUIeBB5RTO1Xwo9vkQWgNAs1Spplt7fURCeWmyxMKhx82ufhFB5bsB-yUjMb-d32-moq3yo3Bde9CO11O18IYdAje9jcEzEoN7okChrqHu5XBTO7P7XdnhPyZ6_SA/s320/Planning.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/can-i-be-that-little-bit-betterat.html" target="_blank">5 - Can I be that little better at......planning lessons?</a><br />
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No one has ever really taught me how to plan and deliver classroom based theory lessons. If you're wondering why, it's because I am a PE teacher and most of my subject is practical based. PE teachers around the world will probably hate me for saying this but......I actually prefer teaching classroom lessons. In fact I love teaching them. They are the thing I look forward to the most every week. So as part of my T&L role I did some pretty in depth reading, covering authors from Petty, Hattie, Wiliam, Hook, Bjork, Cullan and Willingham. I condensed their various principles of planning great lessons into one post. I still refer to it now! So here are the 15 things you should think about when planning lessons. <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/can-i-be-that-little-bit-betterat.html" target="_blank">Read here</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/can-i-be-that-little-better-atusing.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHM4_uh4LnBIQpZBsCfZ73UrfqVevPdZjvq9TMBsjveqPoCO0NngTC5gnU07rb8M51mwDxSs3ScCjX0KTBeEDMr-4Uhg7ZknpPVNbd2GCyYDt4Ukm-Tg5o1khWMsYpGYs8ibJQII17fYjF/s320/Cognitive.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/can-i-be-that-little-better-atusing.html" target="_blank">4 - Can I be that little better at......using cognitive science/psychology/neurology to plan learning?</a><br />
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Nothing has interested me more over the years than how our brain works. In particular, this year I have really read up on how our memory works. I still know there is a lot to learn, and am fully aware that some of the findings so far might not be exactly as we first thought, but having a basic understanding of how our brain functions can be a vital tool as a teacher. In this blog post I summarise 11 cognitive science/psychology/neurology principles that we should be aware of if we want to help students remember what we have taught them. <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/can-i-be-that-little-better-atusing.html" target="_blank">Read here</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better_24.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqhSdPahCbvRvqLoZVGHd1oGmuULZCd126LNdfLg3WYS_LKGnBNgO9xyJpGk1cXfyT6CTOOPK6my8WR743tO9iHymnX3eFBI8InFLZ2yS6wIer_AIoqkUOJ6DD2MucpXO53g1Uq1-4CXY/s320/Endless+Sea.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better_24.html" target="_blank">3 - Can I be that little better at......helping teachers yearn for the vast and endless sea</a><br />
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This one hits my top three because of the emotional attachment I have to its content. My responsibility in school, my involvement in our Teaching & Learning group and general interest in pedagogy has meant that I have worked with a lot of teachers over the years. Some of this has come in the form of collaboration, focus groups and professional development. Others have come where I have been tasked to coach or support teachers who require their practice to be moved forward. At #TMCowes, I was asked by the lovely Claire Doherty (@wclou) to kick the evening off. I chose to talk about how we can all <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Can%20I%20Be%20Better%3F" target="_blank">be that little bit better at</a> what we do. This is an overview of my speech and talks about how we can all play our part in moving our teaching and learning forward. <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better_24.html">Read here</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9_F8Q8Tmo_A5UKxKxve3pRMrWU3gd2kO4JnnxUlPjWewxwmTTSQF-JTDdGLZ7Yuzk8koW3FyryU-NIFal6JRdOgAjP24Bd_F6wZJK3qHBYwW2NHqejEOoAuqDKIkCazpj6I0P4rGR0Bd/s320/Feedback.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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2 - Can I be that little better at......making feedback more effective?<br />
<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a><br />
<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better-at.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a><br />
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2013 was a time that I thought about feedback....A LOT! I had read so many great posts through Twitter and turned many a page in educational books but really wanted to unpick the mechanics of how to give effective feedback. This was a 2 part post which I delivered at #TLT13 on 19th October. I looked at the three angles of feedback: The teacher providing it, the method they choose to provide it and the students receiving it. It covers lots of reasons why the feedback we give sometimes never gets acted upon. It pulled out principles from Willingham, Wiliam, Nuthall, Hattie, Berger and Carless. It also includes my own student research within school. It's one of my proudest posts and one that has definitely had the biggest impact in my classroom. Links are above.<br />
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<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/creating-culture-of-critique.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-d8hfaWmMroDTkLhQrrJOSOV8FrMDCbKNYOSYjru_aijH4go0SpCvSxDxjuv0kqZCJHoYR5_tb4mqBIso8RlVPNKcdV02aoXzBa9TXDffrx2YOMrYQsAmYxwAOiX_GaBcvWrEh-T2fOZy/s320/Critique.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/creating-culture-of-critique.html" target="_blank">1 - Creating a culture of critique</a><br />
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My favourite post of the year. Back in April I delivered a morning T&L briefing to all staff talking about using the process of Critique to improve students work (and make all elements of feedback better). It is inspired by the work of Ron Berger and had input from Twitter teachers such as Martin Said, Russell Hall, Tait Coles, David Didau and the amazing Darren Mead. It pulls apart the process of Critique into 7 stages and has a huge amount of links and resources throughout. Even if you don't go all out and use everything, the various stages will definitely tweak how you teach. <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/creating-culture-of-critique.html">Read here</a>.<br />
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So there you have it. All that there is to say is it's been a fantastic year. One that has seen my own practice finally going in the direction I want it to. I hope 2013 was equally as good for you all and may it continue into 2014!D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-42561219775983515632013-11-24T22:49:00.002+00:002013-11-25T18:01:12.878+00:00Can I be that little bit better at......helping teachers yearn for the vast and endless sea?<div style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
Last month I was very honored to be asked to kick off the evening at #TMCowes. I love events like this as it brings together like minded individuals who want to improve and make a difference. My talk on the night was about how we as individuals can make a difference to our own teaching. Intertwined with that was how we can go back to our schools and help others make the steps they need to improve. As teachers we work within a larger organisation, and as a member of that, we have the responsibility and the ability to make things better. So, my chat (which goes off on many tangents) on the evening was titled 'Can we we be that little bit better at helping teachers yearn for the vast and endless sea'?</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">During the end of my second year of teaching, there was a job
position made available for an expanding team within our school which sole
purpose was to work with our AST and develop teaching and learning. As
you can guess, I went for the job which was being described as a 'Learning
Innovator'. The position was a dream job for me at the time and gave
me a real opportunity to have an impact in the quality of teaching with
colleagues. The interview process was brilliant and involved an open
presentation section in front of all of the other candidates and the selection
panel made up of three middle leaders. The presentations were excellent
and as all predictable stories go, I was last up. If I am honest, I was
very hesitant because I had just seen what everyone else had said and as you
would expect, doubted if what I had to say could match the quality already
demonstrated. I gave it a good go and a number of minutes later, finished
my vision and waited for the panel to pose questions. Would they quiz me
about my strategic planning, the roll out of my ideas, the way I would monitor
its impact? There was the usual pause before the then head of RE, known
for her straight talking, simply looked at me and said "Bloomin' heck
Dave, you'd make a bloody good used car salesman!" And with that I
embarked on a journey with an amazing team to develop teaching and learning.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, before this fairy-tale story goes on, the job has made me
learn a lot of things. I have found out over the years that ideas can't
be forced onto people. I've learnt that what seems like a great idea
might not actually be one. Sometimes what we want to embed doesn't
actually impact other teachers so it doesn't become embedded. What I
presented at my interview was a prime example of this, and something I will
embarrassingly divulge later. My point is this, doing the job for a
number of years taught me something that I didn't know it would at the start.
It taught me that if we want people to drive teaching and learning whole
school, the idea of one person with a one size fits all model, doesn't always
work. Yes we need whole school improvement and consistency, but proposing
a strategy needs everyone to be involved, to have ownership and to feel that
the process is of value to the teaching and learning in their classroom.
Teachers are smart and no amount of 'used car salesman' qualities can
ever convince them to do something they know won't work for them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So over the years my thoughts about teaching and learning have
changed numerous times. We all do it and it's a natural process.
I've read, I've discussed, I've researched, I've made up my mind, I've
changed my mind (repeating this process over and over again). The last two years
have been a particular turning point and the engagement with social media in
the form of Twitter has meant that I have instant access to support, research,
experience, debate and ideas. There are
days where my head is spinning with thoughts about teaching but I wouldn’t have
it any other way. Experience allows me
to filter the wheat from the chaff. I
love the profession and want to be the best I can be. Not for pride or status, but to make a
difference and have an impact with the young minds I work with.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But there are days when the million other things that we have to
deal with can cause us to feel we aren’t doing our job as well as we
could. Occasionally the endless
deadlines and paperwork mean sometimes thinking about lessons and improving
teaching takes a back seat. At these
times teachers probably don’t need criticism about their teaching or ideas to
be imposed. Many of us are reflective
enough to know things aren’t good enough.
Instead they need systems or mechanisms in place to support them. Personally I am skilled enough to know when
my lessons aren’t up to scratch. And
like other teachers at these times, I need to know that I can be better.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Now I understand that sometimes a stronger
intervention needs to be taken with some staff.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Sometimes these colleagues are unable to analyse areas that they need to
improve on.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">But as a whole school focus,
whatever systems or CPD programmes we put in place, we need to encourage all
teachers to focus on being that little bit better.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Can we create that culture among staff to
themselves become growth learners who are striving to improve?</span></div>
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<b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So
‘what’ have I learnt that might help others?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So back to my own experience. When I was an NQT I had a fantastic
mentor. There were times when we never
saw eye to eye but I was always encouraged to take control of my
development. At the right times I had
her experience shared with me so that I could make the steps forward. Other times I was given opportunities to go
forward and seek answers for myself. I
never had a method or idea forced upon me.
I wasn’t told ‘you have to teach this way!” Of course I had examples and ideas shared,
but the process she took allowed me to develop into a reflective practitioner
and skilled me up to analyse what I did.
As an NQT mentor now, I try to follow a similar process. It’s not simply telling NQT’s what to do, but
showing them how to reflect, analyse, improve and move forward. We need to instil that innate culture early
on in their career so that they continue for years to come. Only then can we hope that 10 years down the
line they are still demonstrating that growth mind-set to continue to go
forward and improve.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My NQT year also shared with the best piece of
advice I have ever had if I want to continue to keep improving: “Stay away from
the vampires in the staffroom. They’ll
suck the life out of you”. Now we all
know individuals (not just in teaching) who have to put a negative spin on
everything and are reluctant to involve in change. And for years I would stay away from them in
order to keep myself positive and keen to improve. But it is these people that we need to
encourage. We need to make them see that
the daylight isn’t such a bad thing.
Instead of categorising them and avoiding them, we need to be bringing
them back to the core purpose of teaching and help them find that spark
again. Their opinions and arguments
actually help make whatever policy or strategy that is being rolled out
stronger. Listen to them and then
challenge them to respond. It may take
time, it might be tough, there may even need to be difficult discussions, but
getting all staff to regain that infectious bug of teaching and learning is a
crucial thing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why is it though that teaching & learning and our
own development can stutter or take a back seat? Well there are numerous things that happen
that just seem to get in the way. It
seems as teachers we get beaten by a lot of sticks. There can be weeks or months when the
constant data trawls, target setting, paperwork and so on seems endless. Time for T&L seems to be eaten up in an
instant. Now I understand the importance
of these and how many are non-negotiable in schools. But I truly believe that we shouldn’t be overwhelmed
by the stick, but instead we should be looking at what sticks. We should be focusing on the students and investigating
methods that help learning stick with them.
Time doesn’t seem readily available on occasions, but the importance of
reading, researching, collaborating and practicing methods are essential if we
are to drive T&L up. If we are to
drive whole school teaching and learning with every teacher, things need to
give and more time needs to be allocated to what really matters.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Teaching and learning can also be influenced by
things outside of our school walls.
Unfortunately there are these guys.
Ofsted. I rarely talk about
them. Their influence and effect on
numerous teachers (including myself) have made very competent individuals do
things they wouldn’t normally do. The
biggest worry though is what Alistair Smith talked about at #TLAB13. He said that there is something much worse than
Ofsted and I tend to agree. He labelled
this monster the ‘Ofsted whisperers’.
Filtering back to schools and talked about in staffrooms are the various
myths about what the big ‘O’ are looking for.
These have many teachers scrambling for their lesson plans and adding
things that are never usually there. The
myths change the way teachers teach and all of a sudden our focus isn’t what
the students need, but instead is what ‘they’ might want to see. This is where we need to be brave and
remember what our job is. We need to
focus on the T&L that works for the students we teach, in our lessons, for
the subjects we know so much about. We
need to be conscious that we don’t become tick box robots, influenced by the
whisperers, but instead be confident enough to do the right thing for those in
front of us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And then there is the ‘bandwagon’. There are times when new ideas sweep into the
profession and take the classroom by storm.
Some are absolutely fantastic and have a huge impact on learning. Some are distorted, slimmed down or
misinterpreted and lose their power. And
there are those which have no effect or benefit to learning at all. A number of times, we as teachers become too
focused on the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of a method.
When time isn’t always readily available to really scrutinise something
new, we simply want to find out how to use it before adding it to our
repertoire. I have been on both sides of
this conundrum. During my presentation
(which I talked about earlier) I inadvertently launched learning styles on our
whole school. I will say no more! Over the last few years I have also trialled
numerous approaches and methods in my classroom. Both as you will guess each had mixed
successes. What I have learnt though is
not to be on the bandwagon. Instead I
aim to become the man, who in the picture, is stood on the tracks beside the
train. This man in my opinion assesses
the ‘why’ of a method before using it.
If we are to engage all staff, especially those who need it the most, we
need to not just throw the ‘what’ and ‘how’ their way. We don’t need to bamboozle or muddle teaching
with numerous gimmicks and strategies. Instead
we need to either explain the ‘why’ to them (the benefit, impact, potential) or
skill them up to do this analysis themselves.
Simplify the teaching and use what works.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This year I have been privileged to have heard a
number of inspirational teachers speak at conferences. At #pedagoolondon, the amazing Kev Bartle
talked about bringing on the ‘<a href="http://dailygenius.wordpress.com/2013/02/25/bring-on-the-trojan-mice/" target="_blank">Trojan Mice</a>’.
This speech constantly goes through my head and has had such a powerful influence
on my thinking. Explaining it here won’t
do it justice, but one thing he talked about was how little ideas, driven from
the bottom up (our classrooms) can grow and become a powerful driver in whole
school teaching and learning. His speech
empowers teachers to go ‘guerrilla’ and try things. He encourages the sharing and collaboration
of ideas. It recognises that teachers are
professional enough to choose methods that work for students, rather than
having ideas forced upon them. This can
be a powerful message to engage those colleagues who need support. By challenging them to trial and investigate
ideas themselves, or collaborating them with others, we can take that small
step to bring T&L back to the forefront of their thinking.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There have also been calls to ‘reclaim your
classroom’ from some quarters. Now I don’t
picture scenes from Le Miserable with barricades and revolutions. Although I agree that we should be given the
responsibility to take ownership of our development, I don’t think things are as
bad as that. What I do agree with in
this call is that we need to focus on what works well for us and our
students. If teaching and learning is
the number one thing for a teacher, can we set up systems that free up time for
teachers to focus on it? Reclaiming your
classroom to me is releasing the shackles that may be the reason that some feel
held back. It’s about giving individuals
the autonomy to focus on what works best for them and the students in their subject. I know I may be repeating this point but I
really think this ideology can be a great thing if structures and systems are
in place to support it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And this is one of the reasons why in October this
year we ran <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/workshops-and-workshop-leaders/" target="_blank">#TLT13</a>. The Teachmeet
movement and various teacher led conferences give people the chance to meet and
discuss pedagogy. Many are out of school
hours and not directed time but so many are well attended. Teachers look to focus on things that matter
to them, taking away what they need and having discussions that will help them
move their practice forward. As a
colleague of mine said after <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/workshops-and-workshop-leaders/" target="_blank">#TLT13</a>, “It’s helped me fall back in love with my
craft”. And that’s simply what it’s
about. But can we create this spark within schools and with all teachers?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The big question though is why? Why should we be so concerned with continually getting better? Why should we do anything different? Why should we be trying to be that little bit better? And when we feel ready, why should we go out and help our colleagues. Well because you are reading this or you heard this speech at #TMCowes, you yourself are probably already on a journey of improvement. You are already actively engaging in moving your practice forward. By doing so and monitoring the impact of it, you are </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">benefiting</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> the students you teach. You are playing your part in improving teaching and learning and know your school, its departments and teachers better than anyone outside of its walls.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Now when I was growing up I never thought about being a teacher. I was inspired by many, but it never crossed my mind as a potential career choice. My main sport which I played for years on end was Basketball. My hero was Michael Jordan. We would stay up late into the night to catch live games and see coverage of the NBA play offs. The best job in the world in my eyes at an early age was being a professional Basketball player. Something happened during college that made me completely change courses and rethink my career. Now as a teacher, I look back and think it would have been nice to fulfill my dream, but I genuinely believe I have the best job in the world. I think that as a teacher we work with amazing people and shape the lives of others. We do this job because we love working with young minds and guiding them through their education. I now no longer want to be a Basketball player. Instead I want to be the Michael Jordan of teaching. This is a guy who had set backs, had responsibility, had failures, had successes, had days of continual practice and days of victory. His ability to learn and develop from every situation is something I try in some small way to emulate. It's this </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">mentality</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> that we need to develop across the school.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The reason so is because of the students and making a difference. I am all aware that this isn't always the case though. A few years back in my own teaching I had an arch-nemesis. A student who I think came into school on the days I taught him, simply to destroy it within 2 minutes. There are days when teaching and learning probably falls off of our radar and we instead start to self doubt or wondered if there is any point. There is though. I had a student who by many was seen as 'off of the rails'. He would be in the head of years office on a daily basis and that look would appear on teachers faces when his name was mentioned. I worked hard in my methods to ensure that when I taught him, I provided an opportunity for him to achieve. In return, this student worked his socks off and engaged with the subject. He continuously resubmitted work, sought advice and asked for feedback. When it looked as though he wouldn't do well, he walked away with an A*. School is about building these relationships. It's also about sharing the passion for our subject with students. On those days when things have gone worse than expected, I have seen teachers brush themselves off, look at what they do in lessons, evaluate their approach and come back the next day that little bit better. I've been there myself many a time. These teachers make me want to be better and its this development, even on a small day by day scale, that has the impact in lessons with the students we teach.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Jamie Portman kicked off #TLT13 and made me think about the value of school. His school unfortunately <a href="http://www.jamieportman.com/blog/leadership/recovery-from-school-fire-discoveries-from-the-last-2-and-a-half-years/" target="_blank">burnt down in 2009</a>. For 3 months, students at his school were taught in </span><span style="line-height: 22px;">a shared Primary school, a moth-balled Special School, rooms in a Youth Club and office spaces in a local wood yard. What he learned from the experience was incredible and has stuck in my mind since his speech: 'Buildings don't make a school - the community does'. What we do on a daily basis probably makes it hard to see this. We use the same facilities every day and rely on the resources and systems in place. This situation made every member of staff at Jamie's school have to think on their feet to deliver low energy - high impact T&L methods into these relocated lessons. The story is inspirational and one we can all learn from. For me, it points out the fact that when everything else is gone, the teachers (as well as the students, parents.......) are really what matters. Adapting on a daily basis, reflecting on lessons and actively seeking to be better, in the various situations we face, is inspiring. Therefore our development and improvement is critical.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">We as teachers can also be powerful at creating </span></span><span style="line-height: 22px;">environments</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"> for students to produce great things. Sometimes we need to take risks to make these things happen. In 2012, I sat in my front room and was dazzled my the Olympics. In particular I fell in love with cycling. Then a very dangerous thing happened. Knowing that in September my Year 11 GCSE PE class would be moving onto science, technology, ICT, role models, media and sponsorship in sport, I planned out and ran a <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/the-big-solo-and-pbl-mash-up-part-1.html" target="_blank">PBL project</a>. It was a risky and to some, a stupid thing to do in an exam year. The project itself was a huge success. I learnt so much from it and realised that even if I never used PBL again, there were so many elements that will improve my teaching. What if I hadn't taken the risk? Would I still be doing the same old thing? It also brought about one of my career highlights. During one of the presentations, one of the girls spoke a sentence before breaking into tears in front of a packed audience. The pressure had got to her. I ushered her partner to continue the speech and see it through. Stepping up to the challenge, her friend continued the talk. Without any signal or signs, the girl who only seconds before felt she couldn't continue, picked up at her next speaking section and delivered a presentation that differed completely to moments before. Confidence oozed and I was one of the proudest people in that room to see a student overcome a massive challenge and finish what she had started. Students can do amazing things and it's us that has a huge influence on that. Worth remembering on days when we feel lost!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">The work of Ron Berger and his book 'An Ethic of Excellence' also strikes a note here. If you have never read the book I would highly recommend it. If anything is going to reinvigorate you as a teacher, this will. If you can't wait, I would urge you to see the You Tube clip of Austin's butterfly. What it does is remind us that with our highly skilled intervention in the classroom, and setting up a culture and ethos with students, we can help them create some truly beautiful work and make a difference to their lives. We all remember our </span></span><span style="line-height: 22px;">favorite</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"> teachers, and more often than not, it was because they cared enough to make us the best we can be.</span></span></div>
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Back to reality and I understand that with all of the reasons and pep talks that sometimes we can feel very insignificant. I have been there myself and even wrote an email a few years back to a well known educational writer when I felt lost. At this time I couldn't make sense of teaching and was frustrated most days with what I was delivering. In my eyes I was simply not good enough. In the email I asked numerous questions. At one point I even asked how to become a 'superteacher'. The response I got was that I shouldn't be looking for this. It's a myth and doesn't exist. We see others do amazing things in public, but rarely do we see this amazing teachers have off days. We all have them and we are all human. All we can do is focus on making ourselves better through focused development. Looking back now these are incredibly wise words. I felt worthless compared to some amazing colleagues, but instead of this holding me back, I learnt that I can only control what I do and need to focus on precisely that. </div>
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If we are going to be better, we can do no worse than listening to the (adapted) Stephen Covey quote and keep the main thing the main thing. Maybe that should be part of the message we use with all staff. Forget what doesn't work, forget all of the gimmicks. Instead strip back all that you do and have the bravery to focus on the main thing. Focus on how to make yourself that little bit better. Focus on making the learning in your classroom, and ultimately across school, the best it can be today. Then plan for tomorrow.</div>
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Okay, so how?</b><br />
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Many people have blogged about Professor Dylan Wiliam's keynote speech at the SSAT conference. The points that he makes are incredibly powerful and sum up much of what I have talked about so far. In his presentation, Wiliam talked about how to raise the quality of teaching. He talks about how it takes 10 years for expertise to develop. Unfortunately, teachers slow, and most teachers stop improving after 2 or 3 years. We do this, as he says, because in the first few years, teaching as an environment is challenging. As we grapple with the job, we continue to improve. As we get comfortable with routines and management of our lessons, we then begin to coast. He highlights the point again that as individuals we need to spend 10 years deliberately practicing and improving what we do in order to become expert at our job. But when do we realistically stop? Have we taken our foot of the gas. Do we get to the stage where we think that what we do works, so lets just continue to go with the flow? If so, it is important that we get this message out there. We need to personally think about the long haul and embark upon this journey. Once we are on it, we then need to get colleagues on board as well. Wiliam finishes by saying "If we create a culture where every teacher needs to improve, not because they're not good enough, but because they can be even better, there is no limit in what we can achieve if we support our teachers in the right way".<br />
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So how can we go for 10 years? Well obviously setting goals that far ahead is too vague and very unrealistic. Instead we can learn from Sir Dave Brailsford and the ethos behind Team GB and Team Sky. I am sure you are all aware of the now familiar phrase of 'marginal gains'. Brailsford and the team believe that if he can make 1% improvement with the riders, the equipment, the materials, the facilities and the training, it will collectively have a greater effect in competition. As teachers we can also learn from this and look to improve our own practice 1% at a time. Focusing on our planning, then our feedback and then maybe our questioning to find those improvements can have a profound effect overall on the quality of our lessons. <br />
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I have also been lucky enough to attend a GB seminar where the not so familiar term 'compassionately ruthless' is also used by Brailsford. With each rider, they are asked the following questions and asked to think about what it will take to be the best they can be. This as a combination can be a structured and manageable way to get teachers to think about their own development. Its flexibility means that it can also be an excellent addition to coaching as an approach to moving practice forward.<br />
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A phrase being used a lot within my school is 'Leadership at all levels'. The approach by our head is to empower every member of staff to lead practice across the school. Now this doesn't mean that every member of staff has to rewrite whole school policies and lead INSET. Instead it focuses on taking responsibility and leading in the classroom, with colleagues, with departments, with students and so on. The focus is to hone in on what we do and become drivers of it with others. Now the flexibility of this combined with the empowering nature has seen many colleagues feel they can step up to make improvements, even if it is only in their own classroom. A simple phrase it may be, but a powerful idea it is.<br />
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The Butterfly Effect is a (chaos) theory that flutters around how small actions can potentially grow with unexpected results. However, in a school context and used in a structured way, it can be used as an opportunity for staff to take the ideas/practice from their classroom, and spread them among colleagues. As teachers we need to be encouraged to try new things, develop them and reflect. We need to be encouraged to collaborate and share these ideas with colleagues. We need to provide an environment where everyone feels they can have an input and contribute. The beauty of this is that an idea may only resonate with a few staff. That is perfectly fine. For those staff their practice has been refined. The effect also has the potential for ideas to spread further and invigorate many more, some of whom may have been on the fringes of development for a long time. Are we able to provide a platform or create a culture in our schools where this theory can be implemented? Involvement, empowerment, autonomy and collaboration in a very simple approach.<br />
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But why limit it there? Discussions about teaching & learning and the collaborative approach to this doesn't have to be restricted to just your own schools. Social media such as Twitter provides an almost 24/7 full access to debates, discussion, ideas, support and reading. Showing the impact of its use and dispelling myths can open upon a fantastic resource for personal improvement. Many teachers may not be as savvy or willing to engage with new technology, so is there a way we can bring Twitter to them? Many schools share blogs of the week collated from the network or summaries top tips that were shared on it? Is there a way that we can engage as many teachers as possible with it in a productive way?<br />
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Maybe it is up to you to take the responsibility and embed these strategies tomorrow? Can you be the champion among your fellow teachers to start them on this journey of improvement? Are you able to set things up? Are you the first cog in driving that culture of learning with your peers? Are you able to help them see the 'why' and not just the 'what' and 'how' surrounding teaching methods?<br />
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There are <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/20-ways-to-get-involved-with-your.html" target="_blank">many ideas</a> and opportunities that can be low energy but high impact (as Jamie Portman says). It could be as simple as driving T&L in your own department. Maybe creating forums like a 'Bring and Buy' where teachers come together to discuss pedagogy? Anything that can be put in place to get teachers to engage with professional practice and look at ways to be that little bit better.<br />
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With all of the great blogs, articles and books out there, can we encourage teachers to engage in further reading? In my own experience, there is so much quality out there but too few staff grasp this opportunity to further their knowledge. A huge part of this is simply down to time. Updating your staff library, showcasing some inspirational educational books, or even creating an in house book club could all be simple to launch. As part of my role within school to do this very thing, I set up <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/" target="_blank">Edssential</a> in an effort to get more colleagues increasing their professional reading.<br />
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Or at a larger scale, can we become Phil Jackson (who)? Jackson is probably the greatest Basketball coach of all time and worked with the immense talent of Micheal Jordan and Kobe Bryant. His ability to work with others and combine all of the details towards a final target meant he had many successes. Can we be a leader like he is and use coaching methods to increase discussions and support among staff? Can we make teaching and learning the number one thing being talked about and coached within your school?<br />
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And this comes back to the main point. Can we firstly be that little bit better in our own teaching, and then secondly, go forward and take as many of our colleagues on a similar journey. This is where the Trojan Mouse, the 'Reclaim your Classroom', the Butterfly Effect and all the other things I talked about come together. Can we be the reason why teaching and learning improves? I believe it's most powerful when it comes from within, and even more powerful when it is fostered through a classroom up approach.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbhvH6jpvZ8uFTVNfZnnEcr0lTqbzLIpnpsXnB5ThpcftT7c5yR3P4420VSNrjWFMNNR0T5lw4hyzS081UaDNbMiXdOdaPeDgJHPQiDhkX-_EBDNofJt0GodwxJbHDsM_ue_K7m820tGU/s1600/Quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbhvH6jpvZ8uFTVNfZnnEcr0lTqbzLIpnpsXnB5ThpcftT7c5yR3P4420VSNrjWFMNNR0T5lw4hyzS081UaDNbMiXdOdaPeDgJHPQiDhkX-_EBDNofJt0GodwxJbHDsM_ue_K7m820tGU/s320/Quote.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's not simply good enough anymore to have a one size fits all approach. Various methods, initiative and strategies from above probably still have their place. Many monitoring procedures and policies are probably still essential. But if we want to drive real change, we need to be the ones who go into school tomorrow morning and make the difference. We need to be the ones who start the process off by embarking on our own journey of improvement. We need to be the ones who begin the sharing of ideas and collaboration with fellow staff. We need to be the ones who drag those teachers who have stepped away from improvement along with us. They are our colleagues and we are a collective group. Telling them what to do or how to do it is not always what is needed. Instead we need to help others to want to improve. We need to be the first step in creating that culture where people 'want' to improve. Trying to set up those discussions, whether at planned in house events, or even by the photocopier are so important. As Antoine de Saint Exupery once said, "If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea". So there you go. Can you be that little bit better at helping teachers yearn for the vast and endless sea?D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-71802869030559877192013-11-02T18:33:00.001+00:002014-05-05T20:07:44.756+01:00Can I be that little bit better at ......using methods to make feedbackstick?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFB_R2XwxhpJPfCZwvVhinVnQDbO9of1UpUKQgDy_FWjPwHh0wU9DuW66id4jmm-rZneg51HsxXDjB9xc6X_wwPCnmI5YalhUzikjNlCoTmayMPbngDwaWGGy4Vt8EFM070UGFZSfV1Us/s1600/Feedback+Phoster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFB_R2XwxhpJPfCZwvVhinVnQDbO9of1UpUKQgDy_FWjPwHh0wU9DuW66id4jmm-rZneg51HsxXDjB9xc6X_wwPCnmI5YalhUzikjNlCoTmayMPbngDwaWGGy4Vt8EFM070UGFZSfV1Us/s320/Feedback+Phoster.jpg" height="320" width="226" /></a></div>
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In my <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> I looked at reasons why feedback might not stick. It focused on whether it was the way in which we as teachers approached it, or was it simply the way that students perceived feedback that was the issue. Whatever or however we approach it, we probably have methods that we use on a regular basis with students. These methods are used day in day out and vary from subject to subject, student to student. In the same theme as my last post, is it the methods that we use with students that causes feedback not to stick? If we look at what the key principles from the last post are, can we design strategies in our lessons that are efficient for teachers as well as effective for students? <br />
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<h3>
What makes a good method?</h3>
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Now this isn't a criteria or a magic tick list that we should use every time we give feedback. In fact there are lots of things that I haven't covered such as it needs to be timely, works best if its formative, targeted and regular (but we know this already). Instead it is a list of common themes or important points that have stood out to me when reflecting on the feedback process that I hadn't fully considered before. The practical methods that follow after try in some way use all, most or at least one of the key components that makes feedback effective. So when we plan to give feedback to students, can we use these points (<a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">and those from my last post</a>) to make the process have more impact?<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Have we got a plan?</i> - Before we give students feedback, do we know why we are giving it? Do we know how we are giving it? Do we have a plan? If we are just using it as a tick box exercise then I'd urge you to think again. Maybe the following cycles or flow chart will help you make a more effective plan for the feedback process. The method you use can be as you see fit, but the core principles stay the same:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh8r4pCYBgd1Yyts7vGih9FGbdOvZL_WkufCH8CSaLTFfbrkoJfj-ntD9EhweM_nCxzWWVOjEXXn72CJi4VyC0oQFQ91b8wcXzi40AW-WekH96vxLR5yeeZl-VJwM9TyXL3GwTtdiPcLUQ/s1600/Feedback+Principles.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh8r4pCYBgd1Yyts7vGih9FGbdOvZL_WkufCH8CSaLTFfbrkoJfj-ntD9EhweM_nCxzWWVOjEXXn72CJi4VyC0oQFQ91b8wcXzi40AW-WekH96vxLR5yeeZl-VJwM9TyXL3GwTtdiPcLUQ/s320/Feedback+Principles.png" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From top left: Diagrams by Tom Sherrington, David Fawcett, Shaun Allsion and David Didau</td></tr>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Be less work for you and more for students</i> - Whatever method you choose should make more work for students to act upon it than it does for you providing it. As Wiliam (2011) states "feedback should be more work for the recipient than the donor". If you find that you're spending hours providing it for little or nothing to be done by students in return, I'd rethink the method you are using.<br />
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<i><b>Feedback should cause thinking</b></i> - Out of all of the reading, in all of the books, in all of the research papers and from all of the blog posts, the key message that has stuck with me about how I use feedback comes from Dylan Wiliam (2011):<br />
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"If I had to reduce all of the research on feedback into one simple overarching idea, at least for academic subjects in school, it would be this: <b>feedback should cause thinking</b>"</blockquote>
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Now this is a simple and powerful message, but one I never thought of before. For years I simply thought feedback was me telling students what they got wrong and what they should have done. We know as adults how demoralising that must be if that is all we ever hear. There were even times when I simply attached a grade or score, occasionally with a "check the marking criteria" added in for extra fun. Now I have worked on my methods for a few years now in an effort to make them better. But they still haven't involved students as best as they probably could. And now with this simple Wiliam quote, I've probably been missing a trick.<br />
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When students receive feedback it should make them question or reflect about what they have just done. It should force them to think about what they know and what gaps they still have. It should force them to think about how to act upon the feedback in an effort to move their learning. Did my previous comments and grade do that? Definitely not. So can future methods do this? I'm confident they can. So look at how you give feedback to your students. If they can simply read it and dismiss it then it probably won't work. If though it forces students to think, before taking future action, it is heading towards being a method that may just have a positive impact.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Do our methods answer the three questions</i> - In Hattie and Timperley's paper titled '<a href="http://education.qld.gov.au/staff/development/performance/resources/readings/power-feedback.pdf" target="_blank">The Power of Feedback</a>', it was put forward that effective methods of feedback revolve around three key questions. Now these three question crop up time and time again in other material. But do I ever use them every time I give out feedback. If you've never seen them before, the questions we should be addressing in feedback are:<br />
<ul>
<li>Where am I going?</li>
<li>How am I going?</li>
<li>Where to next?</li>
</ul>
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In a summary, they also addressed these as:</div>
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<li>Feed up</li>
<li>Feedback</li>
<li>Feedforward</li>
</ul>
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As Hattie points out in most of his literature, in an ideal environment, the comments we provide addresses these questions with the students. The use of these questions in our structure ensures that we don't merely provide feedback, but instead link directly to the learning and then look forward in helping students make progress. <br />
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<i>"Where am I going?"</i> or feed up addresses the intention, goal or aim of the piece of work/learning. As Black and Wiliam (1998) explained, “the provision of challenging assignments and extensive feedback lead to greater student engagement and higher achievement”. It is therefore important for the feedback to have maximum effect, the goal is specific and challenging, with the task complexity low. This goal may be the learning objective of the lesson, the core question of the task or even a target for which the student needs to work on (from previous feedback). The important key component in this question though is we provide clear success criteria for meeting this aim. Too often our comments are specific and accurate, but don't clearly link to the goal or learning taking place. It is essential that we talk about this criteria so students can see where they are in the process and how far away they are from getting to the desired goal. <br />
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<i>"How am I going?"</i> or feedback provides reference to how that student is doing in relation to the goal or objective. It's what we do most frequently and made up a lot of the comments I used to provide. It is normally in this section that we highlight misconceptions or brilliant pieces of learning. If we link it back to the previous question, this element can help show students where they are in their journey and what's been happening so far.<br />
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<i>"Where to next?" or </i><i style="font-weight: bold;">Feedforward</i> - This last year was the biggest revelation in my teaching. Why I hadn't used this word before I simply don't know. As Hattie (2011) states "This feedforward question can have some of the most powerful impacts on learning". A simple change in terminology with students can be a powerful thing. When we talk about feedback, we are doing just that: looking back at what was. This is a great starting point but students also need to know how to move forward. This question ensures that we as teachers provide comments that help students take the next step in the learning process. We've talked about the goal and where they are at, now we look at what is the next step to move this learning on. It is vital here that we spend most of our time sharing this with students if we want them to progress. As Sadler (1989) talks about in his work, it is this part of the feedback process that helps 'close the gap'.<br />
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So when we provide our comments to students, do we answer these three questions every time? Maybe that is one of the reasons that it doesn't have the impact it should?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTc_ITbabkT7Vl7532V7RnmnlZOyw4E71uuAo4vS0g4zY4Sx5xPI_jZYh_0BW4q91h7LLwQ6iMYIpHeuZ5VCPcZpbzwT-vJhrFJeCbRgds6XTQI9iIjvaFAB5h5hw37tg6HAI1C2CUSk30/s1600/Feedforward.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTc_ITbabkT7Vl7532V7RnmnlZOyw4E71uuAo4vS0g4zY4Sx5xPI_jZYh_0BW4q91h7LLwQ6iMYIpHeuZ5VCPcZpbzwT-vJhrFJeCbRgds6XTQI9iIjvaFAB5h5hw37tg6HAI1C2CUSk30/s320/Feedforward.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Less is more</i> - As I talked about in my last <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">post</a>, sometimes the less we say has the most impact. One thing that came up time and again in both literature and in my survey was that students struggle with a large amount of comments. Too much feedback and the comments get ignored, give the impression the work must be bad or become too specific that the students doesn't know what to do with it. Are our methods to much for our students to actually understand?<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Will they do anything with it?</i> - As I said in my <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">last post</a>, if students can't act upon the feedback to move the work or learning forward, you might not have bothered. Students need the opportunity to both read and do something with your feedback. It normally works best when students can act on it there and then. Leave comments idle for lessons on end and the feedback loses its impact. Two students in my survey specifically found that some teachers had given comments over 30 days ago and the students still hadn't improved that piece of work. Now it's slipped from their memory and they can't remember the context it was in. When giving feedback, ensure there is either an immediate opportunity for improvement, or one very soon. Use a cycle as the basis for our methods is a really great reminder. Do we always plan in time to do this?<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Comments first! (Grades later)</i> - Nothing more to really say on this. As I detailed in my <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">last post</a>, as soon as we add grades or praise, the impact of feedback reduces and in some cases actually has a negative effect. We need to break the grades culture or at least use them in a more constructive way.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Do our methods promote a Growth Mindset?</i> - We need to ensure that the methods we use help students see that reading or listening to feedback is important, that mistakes are good for learning, that good habits can be learnt and should be repeated, and it's effort that is the key to making them improve. <a href="https://twitter.com/johntomsett" target="_blank">John Tomsett</a> has written a lovely post that encapsulates this message as a shift in culture <a href="http://johntomsett.wordpress.com/2013/10/20/this-much-i-know-about-developing-a-dweck-inspired-growth-mindset-culture/" target="_blank">here</a>. Some students really find feedback (and especially poor performance or mistakes) dents their self esteem and confidence. So can we ensure we create a culture it our classroom that challenges these beliefs and make feedback an integral component of what happens in it?<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Do what Ron does!</i> - If you have never read 'An Ethic of Excellence' by Ron Berger, or have never seen one of his videos online, I would strongly urge you to do so. Ron Berger's book explains how he gets students to create work of excellence using some very key principles. I have blogged about it <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Critique" target="_blank">here</a>. What is fantastic about this is that everything that Ron does puts the role of feedback (in his method called critique) right at the heart of the learning in the classroom. Students are set challenging tasks, break down examples of excellence, create success criteria together, use a drafting process, critique each others work (after being trained to do so) and seek this feedback from all sources automatically. No one book has changed my thinking of the power of a feedback culture and its role in exceptional work. Students are fully involved in the process and work continuously gets reviewed and improved. The whole process of feedback becomes visible! Do we create a culture in our classrooms using similar protocols that makes feedback and its power sing from every corner? And neither have I yet (but I am seriously working on it!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wExBYAqfiGmx5SSPhJ-kcmrsNjuRttuC67nDptPnvPCrQ6caf3cNVx3jfEHvmcjvmTPBN31uTukl7qrxqn_hzKyr_aU5-HIVi7_mSuGOxBhWJpm1dJ4zxdJVmh5mZ_zFeB9SLjviOKfV/s1600/Berger.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wExBYAqfiGmx5SSPhJ-kcmrsNjuRttuC67nDptPnvPCrQ6caf3cNVx3jfEHvmcjvmTPBN31uTukl7qrxqn_hzKyr_aU5-HIVi7_mSuGOxBhWJpm1dJ4zxdJVmh5mZ_zFeB9SLjviOKfV/s320/Berger.png" height="281" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Key components from Berger. Do we create this?</td></tr>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">The students do it all the time!</i> - Another great book I would urge you to read is 'The Hidden Lives of Learners' by Graham Nuthall. The book looks at learning from the perspectives of students and reveals a number of things we were probably unaware of. One of the main points is that students receive <u>80% of the feedback they receive from their peers, and most of this is wrong</u>. So much peer feedback takes place beyond our control and we need to ensure that we train students up to give this effectively. Unless all students work in silence for an entire lesson, they will always ask a friend or peer for help, advice, guidance or feedback. We need to ensure that we involve students in the process and teach them exactly what high quality looks like and how to give it. We also need to involve students in the process of feedback if they are to engage in it. Too many times feedback can seem a one way process. As Nuthall explains in his book, unless they are part of the process and it includes them throughout, we are more likely to get them to act upon feedback. Do the methods we use train students to give high quality feedback? Does it teach them to spot high quality feedback? Do our methods involve students?<br />
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<h3>
So what methods help feedback stick?</h3>
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It's probably very important to say straight away that these methods are not my own. They are ideas that have been discussed in department meetings, chatted about in the staffroom, read about on Twitter or seen mentioned in research/books. Some were even suggested by students during my in-house survey. They're purely on the list because they in some way attempt to bring together all three topics I've raised over the last two posts: the <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">teacher</a>, the <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">student </a>and the methods. They aim to make the feedback we give stick and encourage the comments to be acted upon. So can I get a little bit better at making feedback stick?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkCoAQK720c8YSbMn1xsRAlNTmNIpfECDAeC4YuyWDDoNKU6zLPwJR9Mx_LfJvC8aPgLU-TKrQ16YBvTuokwbwHnv-M3vMogZLUpjvFX29Eg9lvJt1W_Sa0wg9hzrbLzA2m8Npx85v73y/s1600/Feedback+Factors.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkCoAQK720c8YSbMn1xsRAlNTmNIpfECDAeC4YuyWDDoNKU6zLPwJR9Mx_LfJvC8aPgLU-TKrQ16YBvTuokwbwHnv-M3vMogZLUpjvFX29Eg9lvJt1W_Sa0wg9hzrbLzA2m8Npx85v73y/s200/Feedback+Factors.png" height="162" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Critique</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span>– “Drafting and
crafting”. My ultimate favourite method which
we can draw key principles of effective feedback from. Even if you don't do the full process, there are so many principles we can extract and adapt. Here is a <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/creating-culture-of-critique.html" target="_blank">link</a> to my post specifically on this method.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>What:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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A process where students are trained to give very clear
and concise feedback in order to create work of excellence.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>How:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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As students are working towards a piece of work, they
create a number of drafts versions of it.
These drafts are ‘critiqued’ by peers and the feedback that each piece
is given is acted upon in the next draft.
The comments that are given must be kind, specific and helpful. They must also be instructional and help make
the work better. The teacher usually
focuses on one aspect of the work at a time to make the process as beneficial
as possible. The process of critique
normally requires a full dedicated lesson and comes in the form of a public
critique or gallery critique. Students
need to have the process modelled, and getting students to critique the
critique in the early stages helps ensure that they comments they provide to
peers are of a high enough standard.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>Why:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Critique goes beyond typical peer assessment. It is part of the process. It very clearly shows students how to give
specific feedback that the person receiving it can go away and act upon. It addresses the "85% of the feedback...." issue identified by Nuthall. By dedicating a whole lesson and using a
drafting process, a culture of feedback develops within the classroom. The use of drafts also help students see the
progress that is being made from 1<sup>st</sup> draft to final piece.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">DIRT time</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span>– Acting upon that
feedback<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>What:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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First made aware to many teachers by the amazing Jackie
Beere, this method gives allocated time to getting students to read their
feedback and actually act upon it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>How:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Plan time within lessons or schemes where students act
upon the comments and feedback that they receive. This can come in the form or a starter
activity, end of a lesson task or a dedicated lesson during a scheme. In this time, students revisit feedback that
they have been given and have that time to actually act upon it with the help
of peers, teachers and resources.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>Why:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Providing feedback in books can easily be forgotten about
or simply not acted upon. By creating
dedicated time in lessons where students have to act upon it, the gap between
where they are and where they should be can be closed.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>Find and Fix</b> </span>– Getting students to think about their work (A Dylan Wiliam idea)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>What:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Place a dot or mark in the margin of a piece of work near where a mistake is. Students have to locate the error independently.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>How:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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When marking a piece of work, place a symbol, dot or mark in the margin next to where a mistake has taken place. At the end of the work, explain that there are x number of mistakes. Don't indicate what these mistakes may be. Students then have to 'find' and 'fix' them. You can add a focus to the process. For example, you could explain that the feedback focus is on SPaG and ask students to find and fix the x number of mistakes in their work.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>Why:</u></b></div>
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The process involves students thinking about the work they are doing. This is ideal for minor issues which can easily be found and fixed. The method also means that students can quickly amend work themselves. It is also time efficient for teachers.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGUm6y4WZm37XUrnv7aQNI7FkbN2eHE8XrOfxtIKXUpjS-gC3WR613ZL0kpy6r4gC6TsvInDlIyyhGeZqIfzZ2VBmGJGLyOMHiAKNCAu0WgVoCGJeqNPg3mzWiUSzPXJvxXv-6nnolOZPU/s1600/Close+the+Gap.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGUm6y4WZm37XUrnv7aQNI7FkbN2eHE8XrOfxtIKXUpjS-gC3WR613ZL0kpy6r4gC6TsvInDlIyyhGeZqIfzZ2VBmGJGLyOMHiAKNCAu0WgVoCGJeqNPg3mzWiUSzPXJvxXv-6nnolOZPU/s200/Close+the+Gap.png" height="200" width="171" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Closing the gap lessons</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span>– Moving from where
you are to where you should be<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>What:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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A dedicated lesson or lessons at the start of a new unit
that allow students to ‘tidy up their understanding’ from a previous unit.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>How:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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This is used in our department a lot. At the end of a unit we carry out a unit
test. The two lessons after this (and
prior to the next unit), students analyse how their understanding (from test results,
homework….) and revisit weak topics once more.
Whilst doing this they act upon any feedback that they were given,
improve their notes, redraft any work that they underperformed in, create
concept maps or revision resources, answer exam questions and so on. The aim is to then make that topic an area of
strength. Students try and improve at
least two weak areas in this time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>Why:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Too often we finish a unit and move onto the next without
ensuring students are confident in it.
Providing this structured time with well thought out tasks allows
students to close the gap from where they were, to where they should have
been. Learning is reinforced and
improve.</div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p>
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/27836920" style="border-width: 1px 1px 0; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px;" width="427"> </iframe> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/davidfawcett27/closing-the-gap-theme-park-writing" target="_blank" title="Closing the gap theme park writing">Closing the gap theme park writing</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/davidfawcett27" target="_blank">davidfawcett27</a></strong> </div>
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<o:p><i> An example of a 'Closing the Gap' lesson from English</i></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Burning questions/requests</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span>– Can you check this
for me?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>What:</u></b><u>
<o:p></o:p></u></div>
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When students submit a piece of work, they have the
opportunity to request a specific part is given closer inspection.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>How:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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When a piece of work is handed in, the student very
clearly highlights on it a part of it that they didn’t quite understand. This is not related to the task, but instead
to the content. If for instance they are
still unsure about the functions of the skeleton during a physiology unit, they
simply highlight that section in their work.
The teacher can then mark the other parts using a marking key, and then
give specific time to the piece of understanding that the student is struggling
with. This section gets constructive
comments and suggestions for moving the learning forward and hopefully ‘close
the gap’.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>Why:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Giving students that sense of ownership and
responsibility engages them in the process.
They are highlighting a part of your subject that they are still not
quite clear on and requesting some help with moving it forward. This involvement means that the comments you
give will have a higher chance of being acted upon.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Feedback key</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span>– Focusing your
feedback <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">What:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A feedback key that all students are familiar with and
used when marking pieces of work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">How:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Create a marking key and give students a copy to stick in
their books. The codes on this key could
include B.O.D (Benefit of doubt), T.V (Too vague) or double ticks for very well
answered pieces. When marking work,
leave the codes throughout the work where needed. Students then check the codes upon receiving
their work back and know what needs work (lack of detail etc). The code means that students will have to
think about what needs improving, and it is this thinking which will help
progress learning further. If they need
more clarity over why they have a code they can come and seek further feedback.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This makes marking quicker on you as a teacher. Also as Dylan Wiliam says, feedback should provoke
thought. This method highlights to the
student areas where knowledge is competent, and areas where knowledge is
lacking. Students work out where the
error is and can correct it. The key is
quick to use and provides you with time to actually write constructive comments
where a student needs it most, rather than having to scribble all over a piece
of work. Less is more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>Feedback homework</b> </span>– DIRT time at home<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">What:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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Students collect a 'homework task' that is specific to a common misconception they have demonstrated in a piece of work. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">How:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Although feedback should be specific to that individual, there are times when a few different common errors throughout the class have taken place. For the first part of the homework, students have to act on feedback that was personalised and specific to them. For the second part, students also have to collect a 'feedback homework' task sheet from you. Each task is different and relates to one of the common errors demonstrated in the pieces of work. Students simply pick up the relevant task in relation to their feedback.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As well as specific feedback for every child, there are also some common mistakes that come up. This encourages students to work on this feedback task at home, addressing the error/gap and improving the work that they submitted. It is also efficient for the teacher.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Feedback questions</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span>– Doing something
with your comments?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">What:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A Dylan Wiliam idea - Give students questions as feedback to tackle
misconceptions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">How:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Read through students work and place numbers against misconceptions. The number links to questions posed by the
teacher at the end of the piece of work.
Students have to respond to the questions and demonstrate that they have
understood the information.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">By asking questions students have to think about the
error that they made. By using questions
students have to engage with the feedback and act upon it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Triple impact marking</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span>– You, me, you<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">What:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Provide feedback to students. They then provide feedback back to your
comments. You provide feedback again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">How:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Read students work and provide feedback where
necessary. Students then read the
comments, react to them by writing their own comment and course of action (how
they will improve). They then improve
and you then feedback on the work again, seeing if they have undertaken the
steps they had identified.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Engages in a dialogue of feedback where the students must
act upon your comments, and plan steps to improve.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>Feedforward as a starting point</b> </span>– Using feedback as in future learning <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">What:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Use previous feedback/feedforward as starting target for new work.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">How:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Very obvious but actively get students to write their previous feedforward targets on new work. Students therefore have the deficit from the last piece of work visible and in their mind when working on their new piece.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why:</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Students can easily forget or ignore feedback. The same mistakes seem to keep creeping up again and again, making you wonder whether they have read the comments at all. By having them as the starting point of the next piece, it is a clear criteria for which students work towards in their new piece.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Using grades/data</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span>– Using summative assessment and quantitative data effectively<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">What:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Using grades, test data and scores <b><u>with</u></b> students as a form of feedback to help close the gap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">How:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Break down a
piece of work, coursework or test.
Display the separate components of the work in the form of a spreadsheet on the board and get students to pick
the areas that they have answered poorly and they must act upon those areas. Combine it with a 'Closing the gap' lesson or DIRT time to make it have more impact. Use mark schemes to support where necessary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why:</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Giving grades or test scores can be detrimental to feedback. Going through an exam paper question by question can be quite laborious. This method gives students an overview of each question and each sub section of it in one quick image. Topics are colour co-ordinated so spotting patterns in weaknesses is easy to do. With a break down of the marks, students can also see how far away they were from achieving the correct response. Promotes responsibility and ownership as students identify areas themselves.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>Modelling and examples</b> </span>– Showing what to aim for<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">What:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When providing feedback, use a model or example of excellence to help students reference what they need to be doing.</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">How:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When you are going over the main misconceptions (or even positives) of a piece of work or learning, use a model or example of excellence with the students. This helps them understand and visualise what quality their work should be aiming for.</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Students find that they have great feedback from teachers but they can't translate that into a mental image of what their work/learning should be. Showing an example helps scaffold what the next steps actually look like and are more likely to get students to act upon the feedback.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now these methods should be adapted and tweaked to suit the needs of your students. Ultimately though, they encourage feedback to be acted upon, and hit many of the concerns and issues with the teacher approaches, students perceptions and pitfalls in methods I have identified. If you haven't done so already, I would really encourage you to read my <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/can-i-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> to understand the student and teacher factors in this process. So, knowing all of this now, can we be that little bit better at providing feedback methods that stick?</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This is being submitted as part of Octobers #blogsync. Read the other entries here: <a href="http://blogsync.edutronic.net/">http://blogsync.edutronic.net/</a></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Links</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">My previous feedback posts: <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Feedback">http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Feedback</a></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Creating a culture of critique - My favorite method of providing feedback (also full of links) <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/creating-culture-of-critique.html">http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/creating-culture-of-critique.html</a></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">My #TLT13 and ResearchEd presentation on making feedback stick <a href="http://prezi.com/cy5bd7p2k1gl/making-feedback-stick/">http://prezi.com/cy5bd7p2k1gl/making-feedback-stick/</a></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">My #TMSoton Making Feedback Stick presentation </span><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/davidfawcett27/feedback-23968730" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">http://www.slideshare.net/davidfawcett27/feedback-23968730</a><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Some excellent articles from numerous bloggers on Feedback collated via Edssential <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/feedback/">http://edssential.co.uk/feedback/</a></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Some excellent articles from numerous bloggers on Marking collated via Edssential <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/marking/">http://edssential.co.uk/marking/</a></span><br />
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D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-22616454284886709162013-10-30T17:35:00.000+00:002014-05-10T21:46:58.166+01:00Can I be that little bit better at......understanding why feedbackdoesn't stick?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>The feedback goblin</b></h3>
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There is no doubting that feedback is one of the most important key components of teaching. We use it every day, in various forms and in response to various situations. If used well it can have such an impact on the learning of students. In fact according to Hattie, if used as effectively as possible, it can have an effect size of d=0.79 which is twice the average impact of other classroom methods. But that statement itself has one key problem: <i>"if used as effectively as possible"</i>. Unfortunately, as Hattie (2012) states:<br />
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"Feedback is among the most common features of successful teaching and learning. But there is an enigma: while feedback is among the most powerful moderators of learning, its effects are among the most variable" </blockquote>
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So why is the impact of feedback so varied? Why is it that sometimes when we provide detailed feedback about a piece of work or learning, this piece never improves? Why is it also the problem that after meticulously providing feedback for students in an effort to move learning forward, this feedback is never acted upon? Why is it that after providing high quality feedback, students still don't know what to do to make that work better? There is clearly a chink in the system and identifying it in our own teaching, and then addressing it, can ensure most of our effort is not wasted. Surely there are simple ways to tweak what we as teachers do to make feedback work better, stick more, empower students <i>and</i> actually make them act upon it. Well as usual there aren't any miracle cures. How we give feedback in one lesson may not not suit the next. How we provide feedback to one student in a class may not be helpful to the person sitting next to them. The art of providing feedback is a large task to master. In fact I'm not sure that I will personally ever master it and that gremlin may remain! However, if we think about what feedback is, what it includes and who is involved in the process, can we get that little bit better at using it?<br />
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<b>So what is feedback?</b></h3>
Feedback itself doesn't have one universal definition. Of the many great attempts to define it there are a few that personally resonate with me:<br />
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"the process used by teachers and students to recognise and respond to student learning in order to enhance that learning, during the learning" Cowie, Bronwen, Bell, Beverley (1999)</blockquote>
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"feedback aims to reduce the gap between where the student 'is' and where he or she is meant to be" Sadler (1989)</blockquote>
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The process of is simple at first glance but making as effective as possible requires a lot more thought. At its most basic is is the simple provision of information about performance, learning or understanding. At its best it can resemble a map, providing clear references of where we have been, where we are, where we are going and what the immediate landscape may be like as students continue on with their journey. Its form can come in many ways using both verbal and written methods. Any provision of feedback by a teacher or even a peer is aimed at helping that individual move the learning process forward. We use it numerous times in a lesson and it impacts many of our students. Usually (as stated by both Wiliam and Hattie) it uses a strong goal or learning intention, combined with clear success criteria, as a means to reference feedback to. This is vital as students need to use this feedback to see what the aim is and how to get there. When there is clarity in the task or learning taking place, the power of the feedback is improved. Over the years many educators and teachers across the globe have developed methods and means of providing feedback to students which they find works. The key though is making the way we use this notion of feedback to have as much impact as possible. If we can find ways to increase the potential of feedback, we increase the learning potential of our students. <br />
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The problem is though, in both my own teaching and in the teaching of others, I have had so many conversations about how feedback simply isn't sticking with students. It's not surprising when its's claimed that 70% of the feedback we give is not received by students. In some cases fellow teachers have even questioned whether it is worth the time and effort providing it if it is never read or used. But I still believe it is. I don't think that feedback should be written off. In fact I think it deserves even more attention and investigation. There has to be reasons or triggers within the process that can be tweaked or improved. But the process isn't simple itself. It involves us as educators reflecting on <i>three </i>things:<br />
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<li>Teacher - how we approach and use feedback</li>
<li>The methods - that we choose to use</li>
<li>Students - perceptions, views and making it work.</li>
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<b><u>The teacher - our approach and use of feedback</u></b></h3>
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I haven't met many teachers who don't value the importance of feedback. A few question its effectiveness but I am pretty confident that even they dedicate a lot of their teaching to providing it. But could it be our approach as teachers that is causing the whole process to lose its effectiveness? Are our views on its part in learning as clear as they should be? Do we set it up in a way that means it has maximum impact? Are we getting students to value the process so that they engage with it? All of these things are components that we as teachers have control over and can change. So what could be tweaked (especially in my own teaching)? Well here's a few areas we as <b><i>teachers</i></b> could focus on:</div>
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<i><b>Feedback is not the end of the line</b></i> - There are times if we are not careful that feedback itself becomes the end product of a piece of work. It becomes the final thing that we do as teachers when the learning process is over. How many times over the years have I asked students to submit a piece of work which I then write the only piece of feedback on it. How many times have student handed in homework and received a comment which then is never subsequently acted upon? Over time students believe that this is when feedback occurs - when learning is done. It becomes the end of the line, the final stop and time for students to depart this journey and begin a new one. With no action its like the students have slept most of the way. This summative method of providing feedback is the first stumbling point in the whole process. By providing feedback only at the end of learning, students do not have an opportunity to act on it. Instead we should be providing feedback that moves the learning forward (Wiliam, 2011). Feedback that provides a recipe for future action (Wiliam, 2011). Feedback should be part of the process of learning and not simply the final statement on students work. Students should receive this during learning and at times when they need it most. It should form a continued dialogue for which we can see the process of learning evolve. What this continued and responsive approach also provides is an opportunity for us to plan in deliberate practice which students can engage in to move this learning forward. All of a sudden this 'end point' feedback feels very redundant and may be the first crack in the system.<br />
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<b><i>When</i> </b>- When to provide feedback is almost as important as how we provide feedback. Hattie (2012) states that feedback should be "Just in time, just for me, just for where I am in the learning process and just what I need to help me move forward". As we have just talked about, feedback should be a clear part of the learning process and one that can be used to make subsequent improvements and progress. Little and often is a sound rule of thumb. It requires nothing more that gut instinct and knowing your students. As teachers we should be creating opportunities to feedback during the learning process and this usually occurs when students are stuck. This timing can ensure that students get back on track and progress forward. But (and there's always a but), we can get this timely terribly wrong. If we leave our intervening and provision of feedback too long, students could give up or become off task. Getting to all of those students effectively and quickly who may be stuck is difficult and one I know I need to reflect on how to manage this better. But there is an even bigger point to highlight. Hattie points out that feedback can only build on something: it is of little use when there is no initial learning or surface information. And so? Well there are times when I set students off on a task. They work and the class is silent for a minute or two. Then what sets in is the 'surely I should be doing something and helping students' default mode. If I'm not doing something then I mustn't be doing my job. And heaven knows what someone would think if they walked into my lesson and I'm not looking busy. But jumping in and giving students feedback straight away isn't the key. As Wiliam points out about the timing of feedback:<br />
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"If it is given too early, before students have had a chance to work on a problem, then they will learn less".</blockquote>
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So resisting that urge and allowing learning to take place is so vital. They need to understand what it is they might need feedback on before I actually give it. Allowing the class to work isn't being lazy, it's giving students the opportunity to learn, and work out what they don't know. But then again there are also times when we set a task and immediately have a student saying they're stuck. In this instance the principle is the same. Instead of providing feedback or giving them the answer, provide further instruction. They need to learn before feedback is provided. So with that in mind, is it our timing of feedback that is a reason it doesn't stick?<br />
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<i><b>Marking policy or feedback policy?</b> - </i>This to an extent is probably out of the control of a classroom teacher. Many schools create a policy and implements it out across the various departments. Many highlight the expected frequency of marking, the types of comments, methods of feedback provision and much more. The problem is that we should be shifting from a marking policy to a feedback policy. Why? <a href="https://twitter.com/HuntingEnglish" target="_blank">Alex Quigley</a> provides reasons much better than I ever can <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/2013/06/01/make-your-marking-policy-a-feedback-policy/" target="_blank">here</a>. For many reasons a marking policy can be seen as a strict code of practice that all must follow to ensure that books are uniformed and up to date. A marking policy can also be seen as simply providing marks which are usually the indicator of an endpoint. A flick and tick exercise in the worst case. Instead a 'feedback policy' can help change the mindset of staff and recognise the continuous methods of formative assessment (written or oral) that is given numerous times within a lesson. It also forces staff to think that providing comments is not the end of the process, but should be part of the process for which students need to interact with. <a href="https://twitter.com/headguruteacher" target="_blank">Tom Sherrington</a> in his post <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/2013/05/31/making-feedback-count-close-the-gap/" target="_blank">here</a> explains how Saffron Walden County High School have adopted something similar but takes it a step further. The school has a generic cycle which all staff must follow. The unique feature though is that each department tailor makes the cycle to fit in to their subject specific context. What you see in Maths is different from Art but is driven by the same cycle and its principles. This prompted me to create this cycle for my own purposes.<br />
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In its simplicity it all revolves around learning. The cycle allows me to plan feedback into my lessons as well as use methods/strategies that tick all of the features. The key areas to focus on in this though is the provision of feedback and feedforward, the time to allow this to be acted upon, and the opportunity to re-assess and ascertain whether the gap has actually been closed. Could a department or whole school policy be formed on the basis of feedback using a similar cycle? If that's beyond our influence, can we use something similar to ensure that we create our own personal feedback policy that ensures these key principles are used all of the time? Simply using it as a basis in our lessons ensures that we as teachers pay more attention to the feedback provision we give.<br />
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<i><u><b>What we say</b> -</u> </i>Thinking about every single comment that we pass to students as a form of feedback can be quite a challenging task. There are times when we have the best intentions about providing feedback in a certain way. Occasionally though, we may say things or pass feedback that actually isn't as helpful as it could of been. These are the times when what we say probably has the biggest impact as a teacher for how the feedback is received. So what things should we think about? The next few points address this:<br />
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<i><b>Faulty interpretations</b> - </i>There are times when providing feedback to a student may not be beneficial at all. Hattie in his 2007 paper explains that feedback:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"is most powerful when it addresses faulty interpretations, not a total lack of understanding. Under the latter circumstance, it may even be threatening to a student: “If the material studied is unfamiliar or abstruse, providing feedback should have little effect on criterion performance, since there is no way to relate the new information to what is already known” (Kulhavy, 1977, p. 220)."</blockquote>
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Hattie explains that students who are really struggling with understanding will not benefit at all when we try to intervene with feedback. He advises that at a stage like this it is probably more beneficial to provide further instruction, additional explanations or clarity through an example. Now this shift is easier to do when we are working face to face with students and providing oral feedback. But on pieces of classwork or even home learning, the comments that we give can have a limited effect. It also becomes quite a large task to provide clear enough instruction for students in written format. It's simply easier to tell them face to face. So when students are really struggling in this setting, instruction and not feedback is vital. Knowing this, can we tweak the comments we give on these pieces of work, or even arrange time set aside to act on this in person?<br />
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<i><b>Whole class feedback</b> - </i>Now I have been guilty of this a lot. There are times when after observing the class or speaking to a few individuals we make an address to all students. Our intentions are honorable as we seek to share a common misconception or error with everyone. The problem is that most of this feedback misses our students as they are <b><i>unsure </i></b>or <b><i>unaware </i></b>of who this feedback is actually being directed to. If nobody knows who it is for then who is actually receiving it? As time efficient and as well intended as this is, simply providing feedback on such a large scale loses its overall effectiveness and becomes a method that has low impact. Targeting specific individuals or working with small groups is a more beneficial strategy. Can we as teachers be more mindful of this in the future?<br />
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<i><b>Giving and receiving</b> - </i>David Carless in 2006 wrote a paper titled '<i>Differing perceptions in the feedback process</i>'. I will refer to this a lot more later on but a startling number of facts from his research emerged. Again it centers around the efficiency of the feedback that we provide. In his study, he found that 70% of teachers claimed that the feedback that they gave was detailed enough for students to use. Unfortunately only 45% of students agreed that feedback was of this standard. This is quite startling and if it is similar across all classrooms, that is a lot of wasted feedback which is simply not hitting home. So as an educator is there a way that we can make these percentages align? Well using advice from Carless, Hattie and Wiliam, there are a few things that we can do to improve the impact. One is to address the <b><i>complexity </i></b>of our feedback. Carless noticed that on a number of occasions, students found the comments of the teacher too confusing, too detailed or too specific to that task. Dylan Wiliam also confirms this and states that sometimes less is more in terms of what we say/give. The feedback we are providing should be helpful to the learner in making future improvements. Unfortunately we sometimes provide feedback that is very accurate and specific, but this simply makes students unsure of what they need to do to progress or work on. <br />
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Carless also makes the point that sometimes this feedback is <b><i>too task specific</i></b> and is not seen as transferable to future learning. Instead of addressing specifics that may not be revisited in the future, look at generic skills such as 'how effective students are referencing evidence' as a basis instead. This is something that can be used repeatedly and more frequently in future tasks. <br />
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Finally, <i><b>interpretation of grading or assessment criteria</b></i> can also be too specific. These can sometimes be extremely detailed and long winded. Students can find the terminology and differences between boundaries confusing. As teachers are we able to break this down into more manageable chunks which students can access and reference more easily?<br />
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<i><b>Praise or no praise?</b> - </i>I feel that this may cause the most debate. This is also an area that I had the most discussion with colleagues at school about. Praise is a tough thing to isolate when giving feedback. We sometimes do it automatically. I know that I use "Well done....." or similar praise comments when talking about students work. But the giving of praise can actually be detrimental when trying to provide feedback. Praise on its own has very little impact as it provides no constructive instruction to the learning or task. Mixing praise with other comments can also reduce the impact of feedback. As Butler (1988) found out, 'feedback through comments alone led to learning gains, whereas marks alone or comments accompanied by marks or giving praise did not.' It seems that the giving of praise redirects the attention of the student and actually distracts them from the comments that they are receiving. So what are some of the pitfalls that research suggests we fall into? Well it is suggested most praise is normally directed towards the student themselves. It comes in the form of comments like "Good girl" or "Great piece of work from a great student". This is difficult for the student to reference or take control of. It also fails to tell them what to do with the work or even acknowledge gaps in learning? Hattie (2011) identifies that student orientated praise also affects their self perceptions. Some will want to be seen as a good student, others will want to avoid being a good student because praise is present in the classroom. Another issue is we usually praise underachieving or struggling students more. This can ultimately lead to praise being given out when it isn't really deserved, or even worse, that praise being seen as false so future praise has even less impact.<br />
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But wait a moment, are you saying we shouldn't give praise? Not at all, instead we need to turn to the work of Dweck. As Wiliam (2011) states:<br />
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"It is also essential that praise is related to factors within an individual's control, so praising a gifted student for simply being gifted is likely to lead to negative consequences in the long term (Dweck, 2006)"</blockquote>
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Hattie (2011) also agrees with this by saying that:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"praise directed to the effort, self-regulation, engagement, or processes relating to the task and its performance (e.g., “You’re really great because you have diligently completed this task by applying this concept”). This latter type of praise can assist in enhancing self-efficacy and thus can be converted by students back into impact on the task, and hence the effects are much greater."</blockquote>
So what does this mean? In a nutshell, most research says that if we give praise we should be directing it to variables that students have control over. These are things such as effort or process. By issuing praise and attributing to how hard a student has worked ("It's really great to see how much effort you have put in") or the way in which they have done it ("A really fantastic way in which you have structured your....") means that the student can do something about it. They have control over the amount of effort they put into future tasks. They also have control over the strategy, method or way in which they complete a task. So can we as teachers change the way we use praise?<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Grades or no grades</i> - Again this is a very difficult discussion to have. Our education system is built up on the notion of grades, however as a form of feedback they have no effect and in some cases make the learning worse. Giving grades to students has shown to cause no improvements in subsequent work. To many, as soon as students get a grade, the learning stops (Kohn, 1994). It is seen as the end of that particular learning process. We therefore need to think very hard about how we use them. Dylan Wiliam dedicates a whole section to the use of grades in feedback. In numerous research studies around the use of feedback with students, grades on their own <b><i>or </i></b>combined with comments have no impact on learning. Even when you combine them with comments I hear you say? As Wiliam points out:<br />
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"Most teachers, therefore, are surprised to learn that the effect of giving both scores and comments was the same as the effect of giving scores alone. Far from producing the best effects of both kinds of feedback, giving scores alongside the comments completely washed out the beneficial effects of the comments"</blockquote>
Wiliam points out in this situation the teacher might as well just give the grades on their own as the students won't learn anything and it will save teachers a lot of time. There are three obvious reasons why grades aren't helpful. First of all they provide no constructive feedback. Giving a student a grade doesn't indicate what was achieved and what gaps still need closing. Secondly, a grade focuses students attention away from any comments. Some students seem hooked on them and ultimately want to know how well they achieved, sacrificing the urge to improve. Thirdly, grades feed fixed mindset students. How many times do we give out grades only for the following thing to happen - students compare with their peers. All of a sudden the opportunity for moving forward is restricted as students look for social status. As is the suggestion from numerous pieces of research, constructive comments are much more beneficial to learning than grades.<br />
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But hang on, we need to give grades so can we make their use better? Well yes we can. I will explain methods of using <b>grades as a form of feedback</b> in my next post. In a sneak preview, if we break down what a grade means and use it as a criteria for success, a grade can be tweaked to be quite a beneficial method fo feedback to share with students. It just takes some thought. So can we step away from grades if possible, or even use them more constructively to improve the impact of feedback?<br />
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<b><u>The students - perceptions, views and making it work for them</u></b></h3>
In both my <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/workshops-and-workshop-leaders/" target="_blank">#TLT13</a> and ResearchEd presentation, I saved my focus of students to the end. Simply because what we do and the methods we use are under our control. How our students react or engage with feedback is not. We can set up the best systems and use the best methods, but if a student does not do anything with the feedback, the system fails. In fact during my session a number of people discussed exactly this point. One delegate explained what on paper was a fantastic method of providing feedback. Unfortunately the student response was rarely as high as they expected. <br />
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As well as consulting the books and research papers, I conducted an in house survey of 100 students from Year 7 through to Year 11. The questionnaire I used can be found <b><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/b273k5xzfxsvnzr/Feedback%20Questionnaire.docx" target="_blank">here</a></b>. I will refer to this at certain times although my findings were almost exactly the same as what researchers were already saying. What is listed on the image below are the numerous reasons that students said feedback didn't work for them.<br />
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So why doesn't feedback stick with students? As I stated earlier, it is claimed that 70% of feedback is not received by students. This is a pretty low return rate for something we know has so much impact if used well. So what is going on in our feedback process? Why is it that sometimes students just don't engage or do anything with the feedback we give them?<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Oral feedback</i> - In my school survey this issue came up a lot. Students commented quite a lot on how they preferred oral feedback as it was given specifically to them in a face to face situation. Students were able to ask questions and seek clarity if needed. However, many students said although they liked this, there were frequent times when the teachers moved on to speak to another student and they instantly forgot what was said to them. There are other considerations with oral feedback as well. Carless (2006) indicated that "whilst tutors may view oral comments as feedback, students may not recognise this form of feedback as much as written comments". Maybe what we tell students doesn't sink in because if it isn't on paper students aren't sure if it is simply a conversation or a suggestion. They may miss that it was actually feedback designed to help them improve. So can we design a process where we can use oral feedback to explain, whilst reinforcing it in written form?<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Too much feedback on work = work must be bad</i> - This is a common theme with students. "If there's a lot of writing on my work it must be bad and I therefore don't read it". Now this is a common mistake. Sometimes students need to have detailed feedback but it seems that some students ignore feedback if they see a lot of it on a page. It seems that they buy into a culture that only poor work receives mass feedback where as good work receives minimal (sometimes only a grade). In Dylan Wiliam's book Embedded Formative Assessment, he talks about a student conversation in which a girl says "When you get a lot of feedback on your work, it means it wasn't very good". As the explanation went on, the girl indicated that good work receives a high grade and a little comment like "Good job", whereas less successful work is returned to the students with lots of annotations from the teacher. As Wiliam states, "To this girl, the more "feedback" you got, the worse your work must have been". As he points out, used in this way "feedback really is punishment". So is our helpfulness and good intentions the reason why students ignore our comments?<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Peer feedback</i> - In Nuthall's book 'The Hidden Lives of Learners', it is claimed that 85% of the feedback that students receive is from their peers, yet most of this is incorrect (also referenced in Visible Learning, Hattie 2009). At first I didn't believe this and thought the numbers were out, but actually observing this in the classroom, you see that students ask each other for help or direction far more than they ask you. How many times do you see individuals checking with each other, or asking each other questions or using a partner when they get stuck? The problem as Nuthall points out though is this information is usually wrong. In my survey I found some students gave an answer to their peers just to shut them up. In Nuthall's book he points out how some students have the best intentions but again give wrong information. The question here then is, if we know this is going on, surely we need to dedicate time to teach students how to give effective feedback in the first place. Is this a reason that learning doesn't improve? Feedback outside our control is given, but it's usually wrong?<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">How good teachers feedback actually is</i> - I've talked about this before but it seems that students perceive the quality of feedback differently than we do. With our best intentions, in our eyes, the feedback we provide we believe is helpful. In a study by Carless (2006), he found that tutors perceived their feedback more positively than students did. There was a huge gap though with students perceptions though. For example, Carless found that 38.4% of the teachers in his study thought they gave detailed feedback to students, where as only 10.6% thought they did. Now it is important to note that his study was in FE but do we think the feedback we give is helpful? As Hattie and Wiliam point out, sometimes our feedback is too detailed, too specific, to confusing and doesn't move the learning forward. We need to ensure that we use little and often, focusing on key steps to move the learning forward, referencing it as much as possible to the aims and criteria of the learning. What we give should act like a map or even scaffold the process further. Do we do this enough though?<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Ability and the fear of error </i>- It seems from the study by Carless (2006) that students of a higher ability were more receptive to feedback. This was because of their greater confidence and better understanding of both the learning, and what good performance entails. However, with less able students, feedback carries the risk of being discouraging and misunderstood. As Carless states "An ability to provide pertinent feedback that does not impact negatively on student egos seems to be a useful skill for tutors to develop". Now this all works on the self belief of a student and ties in very closely with my next point about the work of Carole Dweck. Whilst more able have the ability to act upon feedback, do the less able have the capability to work with it as effectively? Do we differentiate what we say to different students in our class or is it a one size fits all model ? I know I need to think hard about this.<br />
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Dweck's work also links to this issue. Of her research, Dweck found that students could roughly be split into two types: fixed learners or growth learners. Growth learners thrive on challenge and see mistakes as a process to learn from. However, fixed mindset learners worry about errors as an attack on their intelligence and ability therefore are less receptive to it. These fixed learners aren't just the less able students in the class who attribute poor work for not being very bright. It can also be the highest achievers whose status in the classroom is equally under threat from feedback, failures, errors and mistakes. As a teacher, do we work to shift these students to become more growth orientated? We do this through helping them see that "by working, you are getting smarter" (Wiliam, 2011). With these students we need to give feedback on things under their control and not attributed to intelligence. These are things such as effort and the process of which students have worked. But as teachers do we do this? Do we get these fixed learners to embrace feedback and learn from mistakes? If not then it's no surprise that these students don't engage with it.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Teachers give too much feedback</i> - As simple as it sounds (and I have mentioned this in various forms throughout) "In giving feedback, less is often more" (Wiliam, 2011). Again, sometimes our best intentions, the amount of feedback that we give can be too detailed, too confusing and of moderate quality. If we refine what we say and focus on a few points, the impact of feedback with students improves.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">We don't do anything with the feedback</i> - As I stated in the teacher section, a number of students, especially in my own survey, found that feedback was given but there were no opportunities to follow it up. This completely devalues the effectiveness of it and over time, students become desensitised to it. Why would they ever read feedback if there was never an opportunity to act on it? It becomes a redundant task. Feedback should be part of the learning process and embedded in a culture of the classroom. If we don't value it then students won't either.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">The feedback I get focuses on what I've done wrong, not what I need to do to improve</i> - It's really easy, especially with a marking policy, to purely focus on what students have got wrong rather than what they need to do to make work/learning better. Wiliam (2011) talks about how this type of feedback is "rather like the scene in the rearview mirror rather than through the windshield". If we purely address "what was deficient about the work submitted" then we don't provide students with the chance to improve or move the learning forward. Do the methods we use address both what needs to improve as well as how to improve?<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Involve me in the process</i> - At times, feedback to students can be seen as "You've done this work, now here is my judgement". As teachers we need to use our experience and expertise to rightly help students move forward. We have the biggest understanding of gaps in knowledge so should be providing guidance. But a common theme from students was how it sometimes feels a one way process. Some students in my in house survey indicated that they knew the particular weaknesses in their work. The spoke about how they would have loved the opportunity to have been asked if there was anything in particular they would like the teacher to focus on when they check it. Involving them in the process makes them more receptive to it.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Robotic feedback</i> - For simple efficiency we as teachers usually give out generic feedback statements or comments to groups of learners. If we didn't we'd be marking and providing feedback for days on end. But students check with each other and find that if other students have the same worded comments, all of a sudden it becomes impersonal and loses its impact. They worry that if we haven't put in the effort, why should they. Now we know that is not the case but students see this as robotic feedback. They see it as cold and not specifically targeted for them. Now this is a tricky one, unless we increase our work load (which I don't recommend) is there a way we can tweak this so students do feel it is there to help them?<br />
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<h3>
<u>So now what?</u></h3>
Having an understanding of what we do as teachers, and how students perceive feedback, is a really important point. The aim is not to completely reinvent how we give feedback, but assess why things might not stick and look to tweak/get that little bit better. In my next post I will look at methods that aim to tackle many of the above points and make the feedback we give actually have an impact. In the meantime, here are some more literature on feedback and how to make it more effective:<br />
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The student questionnaire: <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/b273k5xzfxsvnzr/Feedback%20Questionnaire.docx">https://www.dropbox.com/s/b273k5xzfxsvnzr/Feedback%20Questionnaire.docx</a><br />
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This is being submitted as part of Octobers #blogsync. Read the other entries here: <a href="http://blogsync.edutronic.net/">http://blogsync.edutronic.net/</a><br />
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#TLT13 and ResearchEd Making Feedback Stick presentation - David Fawcett <a href="http://prezi.com/cy5bd7p2k1gl/making-feedback-stick/">http://prezi.com/cy5bd7p2k1gl/making-feedback-stick/</a><br />
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Embedded Formative Assessment - Dylan Wiliam 2011 <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Embedded-Formative-Assessment-Dylan-William/dp/193400930X">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Embedded-Formative-Assessment-Dylan-William/dp/193400930X</a><br />
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The Power of Feedback: John Hattie and Helen Timperley <a href="http://education.qld.gov.au/staff/development/performance/resources/readings/power-feedback.pdf">http://education.qld.gov.au/staff/development/performance/resources/readings/power-feedback.pdf</a><br />
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Differing perceptions in the feedback process: David Carless <a href="http://www.victoria.ac.nz/education/pdf/david-carless.pdf">http://www.victoria.ac.nz/education/pdf/david-carless.pdf</a><br />
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Visible Learning for Teachers - John Hattie 2012 <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Visible-Learning-Teachers-Maximizing-Impact/dp/0415690153">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Visible-Learning-Teachers-Maximizing-Impact/dp/0415690153</a><br />
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The Hidden Lives of Learners - Graham Nutthal 2007 <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hidden-Lives-Learners-Graham-Nuthall/dp/1877398241/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383154410&sr=1-1&keywords=hidden+lives+of+learners">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hidden-Lives-Learners-Graham-Nuthall/dp/1877398241/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383154410&sr=1-1&keywords=hidden+lives+of+learners</a><br />
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Edssential - Feedback category <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/feedback/">http://edssential.co.uk/feedback/</a><br />
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Edssential - Marking category <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/marking/">http://edssential.co.uk/marking/</a><br />
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D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-56703897222734635462013-09-05T20:50:00.000+01:002013-10-30T17:35:27.308+00:00Can I be that little better at……using cognitive science/psychology/neurology to plan learning?<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In my <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/can-i-be-that-little-bit-betterat.html" target="_blank">last post</a> I talked about how a number of factors
throughout an academic year can help inform what you plan, how you plan it, and
ultimately why you would plan it that way.
It took into account a lot of experience, trials, research and an
underlying understanding of teaching. In
this post, I look at how knowing a little bit about cognitive science, psychology
and neurology can affect the way in which you plan learning. It’s always interested me how something I
teach students’ one day can be forgotten only a few days later. How is it that something I was so confident
was memorised (or learnt) by students seems to vanish so quickly. And that will be the underlying theme running
through the posts. How can we actually
(or as best as we can) get the stuff we teach learnt in a way that students
will remember it for a long time to come?
Now I may be speaking out of turn, but knowing
how to make things 'stick' so that they can be retrieved at a later date, and
methods we can plan into our lessons to do this, should at least cross our mind
when putting a plan together. You may not do anything out of the
ordinary, but understanding how the brain works (that is if we actually really
know how it works?) could help make what we plan to do to, and how we plan to
do it, be that little bit more effective.
But first, here’s a summary of three background pieces of information
you should be aware of:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s all a
bit…..chemical-ly?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In a short sweet summary, the brain creates memories or
templates through the release of various chemicals in the brain. The two main ones are glutamate and
dopamine. Dopamine is the chemical that
as teachers we want students’ brains to be releasing to ensure what we are
teaching actually sticks. It’s essential
for making templates and connecting neurones to have this present in
learning. But how? Well dopamine is predominantly released in
two ways. One of them is stress. Although stress releases dopamine, it
actually floods the brain and causes future problems. It releases other chemicals that inhibit
learning and actually affect the areas concerned with memory. A more appropriate way is through reward and
anticipation of reward (Curran, 2008).
As a teacher this can be created by the level of challenge and the way
we involve students in learning. I’ll
talk about it a little later. The main
message here though is that if we create a highly stressful environment for
students, we shouldn’t be surprised if things don’t stay in students memories
for long.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">The brain has a
working memory, and it’s a really important part if we want things to stick.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In essence, when students are learning in your
classroom they initially use their working memory to process and filter what it
is you are teaching them. The working memory however has limited space
and can get very crowded very quickly. It can also get filled up with
distractions or irrelevant information which is why students sometimes
misunderstand or can't remember things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Working memory is the workspace in which thought
occurs, but the space is limited, and if it gets crowded, we lose track of what
we're doing and thinking fails"</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(D.T.Willingham Why Don't Students Like School) </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now the working memory deals with the ‘here and
now’. It’s what students use when
forming an understanding as we teach them or explain something. Information resides in here as students make
meanings or develop understanding. When
the conditions are right, this information can then be transferred to the long
term memory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Working memory is
a key player in getting information into our long term memory<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Daniel T. Willingham in his book <i>Why Don’t Students Like School? </i>explains
that working memory and long term memory work hand in hand with each
other. When the working memory is
dealing with new information, it calls upon the long term memory for relevant
background information to help make sense of it. Once the working memory has thought about it,
understood it and made meaning of it, there is a good chance that this
information is committed to the long term memory. This is a very basic analogy and isn’t as
simple as it sounds. If it were,
students’ would remember a lot more than they already do. But they key message here is that information
needs to be attended to in the working memory otherwise there is little chance
of a lasting memory ever happening. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So how do we do this?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 - The working
memory is limited in space though so we need to consider this in our planning.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is therefore really important in planning to ensure
that when an element of learning is taking place, we don't over complicate it
or create unnecessary distractions. Ensuring that the attention of the
student is purely on the learning is something that should be considered when
planning. Will the example you give or the task you design actually alter
the students focus elsewhere and away from the topic in hand? Nuthall in
his book discusses how students’ recollection of information can be affected by
the type of activity we design. He
states “sometimes memory for the task itself is longer lasting than the content
the task was designed to teach”. Willingham
also gives a great example in his book where a teacher creates a task that
resulted in students creating PowerPoint presentations. Sounds normal
yes? The point he raises though is many students focused on the quality
of the PowerPoint (the animations, fonts, pictures) and focused very little on
the content they were learning. Obviously the level of learning and what
could be remembered about the topic at a later date wasn't very high.
That isn't to say though that we give up using variety and being creative
in lessons (because this is an important part of remembering which I will talk
about later), but the suggestion is to work on the content first, refine it,
learn it and plan it before putting it into a new context (a poster,
presentation, leaflet). Therefore the learning in lessons, and time to
create drafts, will need time carefully planned into it and come prior to
starting such activities. Getting students to think about, analyse and
design what goes into a presentation before they hit the computers is a
consideration that should be taken on board.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">2
- Knowing things makes it easier to learn new things<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ok that again is a bit simplistic but the constant
theme coming through Nuthall, Willingham and the work of Bjork is that having
prior knowledge helps understand new knowledge much easier (although Nuthall
does go on to say that if students of different abilities have the same
learning experience they will learn just as much as each other). It is though very difficult to know how much
prior knowledge each individual has. In
my last post I talked about the importance of knowing the prior attainment of
your group and using this to inform future planning. But this is normally in the form of data and
doesn’t tell you what they really know.
There is the possibility of planning in pre-tests or other introductory
activities but maybe we could make the initial planning that little bit
simpler. One consideration is the
careful planning of what is taught first and the sequences/pathways that
follow. The tip is to build upon prior knowledge so logically ordering
what is taught first so it snowballs and draws upon old information can easily
be mapped out before starting a unit. Building upon prior knowledge and
learnt information makes learning new topics easier. This is down to the
fact that new knowledge retrieves and builds upon the older information
to form new connections. The order doesn't have to be linear though and
by using hooks, larger questions or starting with a broader concept, we can
start with a wider idea which we can begin to learn about. So is there a logical order in your subject? Is there something that is vital to know
first? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">3
- We can make using the working memory more efficient<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is more of a rationale rather than a tip. As my earlier quote from Willingham explains,
if there is too much going on in the working memory, students can lose sight of
what is going on and the process fails. Although
there are no known ways to improve working memory, there is advice to using it
more efficiently. If working memory has
a limited space, crowding it with numerous pieces of information can make the
learning more difficult and less likely to be remembered (as I touched upon
above). A lot of new information we learn is done so by combining or
linking to existing understanding or background knowledge. By making what
you teach more likely to be stored in the long term memory, it is easier to
retrieve it again in future when you need it and is more space efficient (for the working
memory) when doing so. It therefore makes learning new information more
achievable, especially when you need already learnt information (background
knowledge) to do so. So planning to commit as much information as
possible through these suggestions can make the learning of new information
easier. Makes sense to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">4 - It will only
stick if you think about it<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Willingham in his book talks about the importance of
getting students to think about the knowledge they are paying attention to.
He explains that “your memory is not a product of what you want to
remember or what you try to remember; it's a product of what you think about”.
It is therefore important we take his tip and “review each lesson plan in
terms of what the student is likely to think about”. If we are to help
commit what we are teaching to students’ memory to be recalled later, we need
to ensure the level of thinking is high throughout. Unfortunately, many a
lesson in my early career rarely had students thinking hard about anything at
all. Should I have been surprised when test scores weren't great?
So the step forward (in my case using SOLO taxonomy) is to constantly
check planning before hand to evaluate the quality and depth of thinking that
progresses through the lesson. Am I hitting the surface and background
information at the right times to build up background knowledge, and then
working with it at a higher level later on to compare, evaluate, analyse and
predict? Willingham also talks about the fact that it's not just the
level of thinking taking place, but the making meaning of what is being thought
about. Are the activities we have planned to use actually the most
effective to help them understand what the information means? This
involves clever task design to ensure this happens. The use of concept
maps, challenge, well thought out questions and carefully planned tasks need to
become part and parcel of what I do. So, if the lesson I have planned
doesn't make students think, or even understand the meaning of what is being
taught, then it's back to the drawing board! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">5 – Pitching it
right<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As I said earlier on, the challenge that students are
faced with when learning can help improve the likelihood of longer lasting
memories to be formed. Willingham talks
about solving problems (in a wider sense) and engaging students in cognitive
work. If students </span>aren't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> actually
thinking and making meaning then it won’t be learnt. He also warns that “without some attention, a
lesson plan can become a long string of teacher explanations, with little
opportunity for students to solve problems”.
So reviewing how challenging the lesson will be is again a really
important point. Have you pitched the
work right? Is there too little
opportunity for students’ to think and be challenged? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And then there's the neurology side (as highlighted by
A. Curran). If I want to get the brain cells firing I also need to go back to
the fact that the level of challenge needs to be pitched adequately in order to
create an emotional response (emotion improves what is remembered). In a
very (and I mean very) basic summary, to learn new things we need chemical reactions
involving the release of dopamine to be present. Dopamine is normally
released when a reward is present. The emotion and reward of learning,
and resultant dopamine release, is essential to commit knowledge to the long
term memory. It's the chemical which binds the neurones together to
create memory so is essential I help (if I can) to get them firing and dopamine
released. Pitching a task too easy creates no real reward. Why
would it? There simply isn't a reason for that feel good feeling to happen.
On the flip side, creating a task so difficult and without clear steps to
achieving it students feel helpless and see it is not achievable is also not
conducive (but don't make the task easier, make the thinking around it easier).
Again, knowing your group and planning to push individuals to create new
meanings is another sure fire way to commit information to the long term
memory. Planning to get that dopamine release isn't going to be easy, but
pitching challenge is surely the way forward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">6 – Three is the
magic number<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In his research that focused on how students actually
learned in classrooms, Nuthall found that students who were exposed to a new
concept on three different occasions and in a variety of experiences, stored
the information in their memories for longer.
He states that:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“We discovered
that a student needed to encounter, on <i>at
least three different occasions</i>, the complete set of the information that
she or he needed to understand a concept.
If the information was incomplete, or not experienced on three different
occasions, the student did not learn the concept.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now using this principle, Nuthall was able to
successfully predict what students would learn/remember with an accuracy of
80-85%. An important warning though is
that simple repetition will not be sufficient.
The three different experiences must come in a variety of mediums and
ways. Variety is therefore the key. He also stresses that one great explanation
is not enough. So why three times? Well he explains that new concepts aren’t
transferred from the working memory into the long term memory until enough
information has been accumulated to warrant it to make the move. Students need to have sufficient
understanding, knowledge of meaning and be able to link it to prior knowledge. So in planning out a topic, will students
really encounter a concept a minimum of three times each in their own varied
way? If not, this may also be a reason
for things not sticking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">7 – If you don’t
use it you lose it<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a saying that I have heard for many years but is not
quite right. It's true that things become harder to remember as Willingham states when he says "we forget much (but not all) of what we have learned, and the forgetting is rapid". Bjork (who I will introduce in a moment) along with Curran explain that it’s not a case that previously
well learnt information we haven’t thought about is simply removed from memory. They say it is not as simple as that. Obviously our long term memory </span>doesn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> have
an infinite capacity (do we really even know how much it has?), but one thing is for sure, if we
don’t get students to revisit things, the connections or ‘route’ to them
becomes weaker and more difficult. Bjork
talks about the fact that these things simply become harder to retrieve. In some of the work by Bjork, subjects
struggled to remember information they had learned a long time ago. When presented with possible answers or cues,
they suddenly remembered. It wasn’t that
the information was lost. It was just
harder to find or retrieve and the prompts help with the process. So how can we ensure that we can help
students learn something so that it is accessible a long way down the line
(like during the exams period?). As
point 8 states, ione consideration could be ‘Practice, practice, practice’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Interlude – Intro
to Bjork<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I thought it might be beneficial to stop for a moment and
explain a little bit about Robert Bjork.
Some of what I will now talk about use slightly different terminology
and I wouldn’t want to confuse examples. One of the things that has got
me most excited is the work of Robert Bjork, the Cognitive Psychologist from
UCLA. He poses some VERY clear considerations of how to tweak planning to
improve long term memory. Much of his work is not just applicable to the
planning of lessons, but is also very important to <i>long term planning</i> of schemes, units or whole courses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">
Bjork's work ties in with Willingham's research in a number of places.
Bjork talks a lot about long term memory and the fact that what goes in
there is dependent on two indices: its storage strength (SS) or its retrieval
strength (RS). He talks very clearly about the importance of creating an
environment where any new information is done so in a way that SS and RS is
high. Designing lessons where both (or even one of them) are low, could
make remembering this information very difficult. So what are these two
elements and how to they link with planning?<br /><i>Storage strength</i> - 'How well learned something is'. It makes
perfect sense that learning something in depth increases the chance that it
will be stored in the long term memory. The better it is learnt the
greater the storage strength. If it has high storage strength, it is
pretty likely that it will be stored in the long term memory ready to be
'retrieved' at a later date.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Retrieval strength</i> - 'How accessible (or
retrievable) something is'. In very simple terms, retrieval strength
works a little like this: The better you learn something, the higher the
storage strength, the higher the retrieval strength. Retrieval strength
is your ability to recall, or retrieve, information at a later date. Now
retrieval strength decreases over time which is why a few months or years down
the line we find it difficult to remember something even though it is on the
tip of your tongue. If something only has a low storage strength it will
decrease quicker than something which you have learned well and ultimately has
a high storage strength. Obvious to say then that if you want to remember
something a long way down the road, you need to ensure what you learn is high
in both SS and RS.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But what implications will this have on my teaching?
How can I plan to have both of these? Well Bjork identified a
number of conditions which over time increase the chances of high SS and RS -
which in turn leads to information being retained for much longer. Now
Bjork warns that these principles “slow down the apparent learning, but under
most circumstances help long term retention, and help transfer of knowledge,
from what you learnt to new situations”. He dubbed these conditions <i>desirable
difficulties</i>. These conditions are purposely difficult and
challenging to the students and assist in long term learning. Whether you
see 'rapid and sustained progress' in 25 minutes is unlikely. But short
term effects are not the goal here (and neither is it mine). So how does
Bjork’s work tie in with the others?
Let’s get back to the tips.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvi2ctZ6qPzJ73MVdqs4NMX2le8LQl9VmX_TKiJ9_swIG1DC-Znd9AyfPH153JZb0oD4yRnmgTbbioTY43mYQl-WtYlyY_DCunH4bj5ESfHwtUMUbDueX84XAOSshqw9fGtqJFkzXsapp/s1600/Spaced+Learning.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvi2ctZ6qPzJ73MVdqs4NMX2le8LQl9VmX_TKiJ9_swIG1DC-Znd9AyfPH153JZb0oD4yRnmgTbbioTY43mYQl-WtYlyY_DCunH4bj5ESfHwtUMUbDueX84XAOSshqw9fGtqJFkzXsapp/s1600/Spaced+Learning.png" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">8 – Spacing it out
(carefully mapping out practice, practice, practice).<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Willingham and Bjork both have similarities in a lot of
their work. Willingham talks about the
need revisit work and states “It is virtually impossible to become proficient
at a mental task without extended practice”.
It is important then that things we want to stay retrievable in the long
term memory need to be engrained in it adequately. Practicing and repeated learning of a task
can help make that information stick. It
also makes it more accessible in the long term memory and this helps new
learning and the function of the working memory more efficient. We therefore need to ensure that repeated
practice is planned out throughout the year to ensure that a topic is revisited. A way to do this (as agreed by both
Willingham and Bjork) is space out learning and times when we come back to a
topic. As Bjork explains:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“It is common sense that when
we want to learn information, we study that information multiple times. The
schedules by which we space repetitions can make a huge difference, however, in
how well we learn and retain information we study. The spacing effect is the
finding that information that is presented repeatedly over spaced intervals is
learned much better than information that is repeated without intervals (i.e.,
massed presentation).'”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In numerous studies in this field, Bjork and other
researchers have found that the revisiting a topic multiple times over an
extended period has a huge impact on the long term learning. Obvious hey?
But do we always plan to do this? Bjork explains that by spacing out the
intervals between revisiting a topic, we are encouraging the retrieval strength
to decrease (The new theory of disuse - Bjork & Bjork 1992). He also
promotes that we plan to have the duration between intervals increases each
time as well. But why do this? Research showed that information
with a high storage strength, which was allowed to lower in retrieval strength
over time, actually improves the subsequent learning of it when revisited.
The brain stores this information much better the second, third, forth
time round and improves the retrieval strength as it goes. The act of
trying to remember what we almost forget is a good thing for memory.
Therefore planning to revisit topics and working out an optimal gap
between revisiting it (increasing in length each time so it is almost
forgotten) can have a very high effect on the long term learning of it.
From a planning perspective, it is therefore vital that topics are mapped
out through units and schemes, with opportunities for them to be revisited or
recapped. Although this may seem time consuming to plan, or logistically
a bit of a headache, the long term benefits can be far greater than simply
blocking topics together (massing practice which ultimately results in very
poor retention and retrieval strength) which is something we, and a lot of
other schools, currently do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">9 – Interleaving<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now if I spaced and revisited topics from a course using
the previous idea, you might quickly realise that you would run out of
available time in your curriculum. A way
to ensure that spacing is done more efficiently is to weave numerous topics
together throughout the year. An example of this may be linking a topic I
cover at the start of the year, say gender in sport, with a topic I teach a few
months later, sponsorship in sport. This process is called interleaving
and requires the learner to constantly reload information from the long term
memory. A more extreme version of this may be to teach gender in sport,
then age in sport, then diet in sport and so on, until finally returning to
recover gender in sport, age in sport......etc. As you can see, this
could be logistically impossible with the time constraints of a 2 year GCSE
course. At a first time of trying this very different approach it could
also be perplexing for students. Instead, using the principle of spacing,
combined with my initial example of interleaving, can result in a very exciting
programme of study. It steps away from the blocking of topics (massing
practice) and allows for retrieval and storage strength to be increased.
It also allows juxtaposition of various topics and deepens understanding.
Planning out the course more effectively using this principle can be
easily done. The use of SOLO taxonomy in my personal lesson design also
assists the achieving of this. It does require careful mapping out, but
reworking schemes this way ensures SS and RS increase. A winner for long
term learning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">10 – The testing
effect <o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Taking a test often
does more than assess knowledge; tests can also provide opportunities for
learning. When information is successfully retrieved from memory, its
representation in memory is changed such that it becomes more recallable in the
future and this improvement is often greater than the benefit resulting from
additional study.”</span></blockquote>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Being asked to retrieve information alters your memory
so information becomes more re-callable in the future. Bjork
identified <i>testing </i>as a method that can help make this happen.
This isn't testing purely for assessment though, although it can serve
both purposes if needed. The process of testing allows the connections
towards that piece of information to strengthen, and therefore be easier to
access than other methods. It can be done in a number of ways. Here
are three which I will be planning to use over the year:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If we start in a logical order, Bjork found that
testing prior to a topic or unit can has an improved resulting effect to long
term learning. This is an easy enough task to put in place and can be
planned for at the start of any new topic. “Although pretest performance
is poor (because students have not been exposed to the relevant information
prior to testing), pretests appear to be beneficial for subsequent learning (e.g.,
Kornell, Hays, & R. A. Bjork, 2009).” It in itself provides cues for
the then to be learnt information which makes it more learnable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Using testing within lessons is also an effective
method to increase long term learning. As stated earlier, the process
forces the brain to retrieve information from long term memory and can make
future retrieval quicker. It's effect can be very powerful (in one study
students remembered 61% of information from repeated testing compared to 40%
from repeated study - <a href="http://psych.wustl.edu/memory/Roddy%20article%20PDF's/Roediger%20&%20Karpicke%20(2006)_PsychSci.pdf">Henry
L. Roediger, III, and Jeffrey D. Karpicke</a>). Adding tests as a
starter, mid lesson activity or even plenary are very easy to organise and
implement. But what type of tests are best? Although there are no
sure fire answers, Bjork found the use of <b><i>multiple choice tests</i></b> to
have a higher effect. As Bjork explains “Little and E. L. Bjork (2010)
argue that when students do not know the answer to a multiple-choice question,
they may try to retrieve information pertaining to why the other answers are
incorrect in order to reject them and choose the correct answer. It is this
type of processing leads to the spontaneous recall of information pertaining to
those incorrect alternatives, thus leading the multiple-choice test to serve as
a learning event for both the tested and untested information.” Therefore the use of multiple choice and
working out the various options, helps improve the retrieval strength and
subsequent long term retention.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, Bjork identified that using tests and quizzes
with students and their peers is a much better way of ingraining information to
the long term memory than simply hitting the books. I personally have
already found this an outstanding revision tool as explained in an earlier
post <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/making-revision-work.html">here</a>.
Using testing as a desirable difficulty in the revision season can again
increase retrieval strength.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBe_VpIyPBsTal2G3ri-nEDmES20iciYQF77xQveTDBPjJqKQG7jOxJZxSBBQbZOULKfV25ABJMcV6JWroDOp6k84Fm9LG52U3atgf3-h7JuV36Z_9k6Ivwr90j8nbnbDXbRoaMfvaUiFI/s1600/Brain+Homer+Simpson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBe_VpIyPBsTal2G3ri-nEDmES20iciYQF77xQveTDBPjJqKQG7jOxJZxSBBQbZOULKfV25ABJMcV6JWroDOp6k84Fm9LG52U3atgf3-h7JuV36Z_9k6Ivwr90j8nbnbDXbRoaMfvaUiFI/s1600/Brain+Homer+Simpson.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">11 - Final
consideration: Mnemonics and other ‘tricks’ can help<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Something we covered with students in our Learning to
Learn course where simple memory tricks to help students remember
information. Now if there is information
to be learnt, which requires little thought or seem meaningless together, a way
to remember them is to use mnemonics or acronyms. Because these pieces of information need to
simply ‘be known’ in order to progress onto future learning, the use of these
strategies can be very helpful in these instances. So as Willingham explains, we shouldn’t be
afraid to use them when suitable. The
same can be said for approaches like chunking.
If you don’t know what it is, it’s a method by memorising information by
grouping things by association. An
example might be by remembering all of the fruit, then the stationary, and then
the sports equipment from a long list of words.
The working memory works better when it isn’t overloaded. By chunking numerous topics, this counts as
one piece of information in the working memory, not several individual
pieces. It therefore makes for an
effective, and efficient, quick little method to share in class.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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If we believe what these principles say, by focusing on the way we plan in a slightly different way, we could be improving the chances that students learn information for the long run. Hopefully these methods allow students retention rates to improve, rather then being forgotten only a few days, weeks or months later.</div>
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<u>Links and further reading</u>:</div>
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<a href="http://www.nzcer.org.nz/nzcerpress/hidden-lives-learners" target="_blank">The Hidden Lives of Learners</a> - Graham Nuthall</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Why-Dont-Students-Like-School/dp/047059196X" target="_blank">Why Don't Students Like School</a> - Daniel T. Willingham</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Book-Stuff-about-Brain/dp/1845900855" target="_blank">The Little Book of Big Stuff About the Brain</a> - Andrew Curran</div>
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<a href="http://edssential.co.uk/2013/07/21/applying-cognitive-psychology-to-enhance-educational-practice/" target="_blank">Applying Cognitive Psychology to Enhance Educational Practice</a> - Robert Bjork</div>
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<a href="http://edssential.co.uk/2013/07/14/deliberately-difficult-why-its-better-to-make-learning-harder/" target="_blank">Deliberately Difficult - Why It's better to make learning harder</a> - David Didau</div>
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<a href="http://edssential.co.uk/2013/07/02/everything-you-thought-you-knew-about-learning-is-wrong/" target="_blank">Everything you thought you knew about learning is wrong</a> - Garth Sundem</div>
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<a href="http://www.huntingenglish.com/2013/03/14/effective-exam-revision-drill-baby-drill/" target="_blank">Effective Exam Revision - 'Drill Baby Drill!'</a> - Alex Quigley</div>
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<a href="http://edssential.co.uk/2013/06/11/why-is-it-that-students-seem-to-understand-but-then-never-remember/" target="_blank">Why is it that students seem to understand but then never remember?</a> - Kris Boulton<br />
<br />
Ooh, and I've just found this:<br />
<a href="http://www.learningspy.co.uk/training/wellington-education-festival/">http://www.learningspy.co.uk/training/wellington-education-festival/</a> - David Didau presentation</div>
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D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-44488992769653225832013-09-04T12:23:00.001+01:002013-10-30T17:35:36.530+00:00Can I be that little bit better.....at planning lessons?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgek5duQZFm7HyrV0ESoK_UHt0LBv4iZQnlS-DLMOrF29h5ZA4BuPiIoPalORszxHYrezaVQpxHR-VEwm48JygXJcQTMIrIzbLozzZ7R5To3yC913W53i9PRgbj4wEXP23KMPsjGKn5mxJn/s1600/Planning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgek5duQZFm7HyrV0ESoK_UHt0LBv4iZQnlS-DLMOrF29h5ZA4BuPiIoPalORszxHYrezaVQpxHR-VEwm48JygXJcQTMIrIzbLozzZ7R5To3yC913W53i9PRgbj4wEXP23KMPsjGKn5mxJn/s320/Planning.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In my previous <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/can-we-all-be-that-little-bit-better.html" target="_blank">post</a> I highlighted the point that after a number of years
of rambling through new ideas, theories and strategies, it was time to actually
sit down and reflect on how to improve the learning that takes place in my
lessons. It is time to cull the ineffective practice and gimmicks, in
substitution for a deliberately chosen approach that reflects my current
thinking. It is time to think about designing lessons that get the best
out of my students. It is time to come up with a plan.....about planning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a PE teacher traditionally trained to deliver practical lessons, a
very fundamental and ridiculously basic approach to planning a lesson could
look something like this:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>- Key question/Driving question/Hook into the lesson content/Learning intentions</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Students get changed</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>- Warm up linked to the focus of the lesson content</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>- Teach the skill/tactic/content</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>- Deliberate practice of that skill</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Planned opportunities throughout the practice to give and receive
feedback</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Teacher intervention, feedback and evaluation</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>- Teacher whole class feedback and error correction</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>- Opportunity to practice the skill/tactic/content and work on
correcting errors</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Planned opportunities throughout the practice to give and receive
feedback</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Teacher intervention, feedback and evaluation</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>- Apply the skill/tactic/content to a wider context (challenging, higher
order task - a conditioned game for example)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Planned opportunities throughout the practice to give and receive
feedback</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Teacher intervention, feedback and evaluation</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>- Teacher whole class feedback (with student evaluation and feedback)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>- Link to future learning (what is coming next and where today's lesson
fits into the bigger scheme of things)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now in addition to this, you would obviously plan the type of tasks you
do to highlight or embed the learning. You would plan how your groups
would work, opportunities for responsibility, resources, questions and so on.
And after years of teaching practical lessons, I'd probably say that I am
confident in delivering a a half decent one. But here's the problem.
<i><b>No one ever taught me how to teach theory lessons</b></i>. Not in
any depth anyway. We spent a small time at University touching the
surface of the topic, but never actually spending time understanding the
difference (mainly due to the fact we teach far more practical than theory).
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Many an early year I used my 30 slide powerpoint and chalked and talked
my way through theory lessons. Obviously students became restless,
learning wasn't great and I never knew what was wrong. I then went the
complete opposite and chucked in numerous gimmicks and activities with
fireworks, pyrotechnics and smoke machines. Students were up and about,
sorting cards, filling in sheets, speed dating, learning on their own......but
were they? Were they actually learning and remembering what I taught?
Again, something wasn't working but <i>at last </i>I had pretty much worked out what. I'd realised that I
had been at each end of the spectrum. Neither approach I had used allowed
me to get the content to be learnt in any real depth. There was no real
strategies to embed and ingrain the content to memory. No meaningful
recall. Instead I was rambling my way through lessons full of shallow
learning. My planning and understanding of how to plan a great lesson was
only just coming together. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since then a number of interesting and key
points have become common practice. They don't always produce great
theory lessons. Sometimes they bomb right in front of my eyes.
Putting all of these things in one lesson might not necessarily work or
might over complicate things. But what follows are a number of
considerations and points that will form part of my thinking for the current
year. I won't use all of them all of the time, but having an
understanding and an eye on them should make what I do that little bit more
effective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>1 - Know your subject and content</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This goes without question. It is essential that we know the content
and topics we are delivering. As teachers we are the primary source of
information for students and having a good grasp on what we are teaching is
vital. Many a lesson I have to re-read or recap what it is I will be
teaching. I aim to know enough that I can answer as many questions as
possible, and have enough depth in my understanding that I can stretch theirs.
With a concrete subject knowledge it is then important to plan what to do
with it. As Hattie talks about in Visible Learning for Teachers, being
able to determine what elements of a topic need to be concentrated on more,
what sequence would be best to teach it, what context is most appropriate for
the material and so on is very important. Seeing things through the eyes
of your class (which differ immensely from group to group) is a real skill and
needs that planning time to ensure you deliver what they need to know the best
way for them. As a teacher, doing my homework and background preparation
ensures I can plan effectively.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>2 - Where possible, plan collaboratively</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Planning can be done in many ways, but the most powerful is when
teachers work together to develop plans, develop common understandings of what
is worth teaching, collaborate on understanding their beliefs of challenge and progress,
and work together to evaluate the impact of their planning on student
outcomes."</span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hattie 2012</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></blockquote>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This isn't always possible with the endless paper tasks and additional
responsibilities we all have. It is though an important factor to
consider and one which we should all make time for. Using colleagues to
bounce ideas off of can be an excellent way of designing lessons. There
have been numerous times when I actively seek out colleagues and run ideas past
them. I know many departments set time aside to collaboratively plan
larger schemes of work, but having a critical buddy to work with on individual
lessons can be a great resource. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"The co-planning of lessons is the task that has one of the highest
likelihoods of making a marked positive difference on student learning."</span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hattie 2012</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></blockquote>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Find time, allocate it somewhere on your timetable and aim to meet up to
plan lessons. Ron Berger in his book 'An Ethic of Excellence' talks
frequently about how his fellow teachers meet regularly and critique each others
plans. Jeff Robin from High Tech High always runs project tuning sessions
within his faculty. This scrutiny of ideas can only improve the quality
of the lesson you are planning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>3 - Keep it simple</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Make things as simple as possible, but no simpler"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Albert Einstein <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I can't stress this enough. In my own experience, if I can see
that what I am planning seems a lot, it usually is. Instead of lots of
little tasks and activities, using a few with dedicated time committed to them
allows my students the opportunity they need to spend time really learning the
content. Busy doesn't always mean they are learning. As Daniel T.
Willingham talks about in Why Don't Students Like School, "without some
attention, a lesson plan can become a long string of teacher explanations, with
little opportunities for students to solve problems". This has
happened to me in my early stage where over complicating what we did in a
lesson restricted the time to meaningfully engage in actual learning. It also makes it difficult for students to remember things long term if there is not enough time spent thinking and making meaning about information. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Over the years I have seen that the learning I plan in my lessons takes
time if students are to grasp it. As Willingham states, "thinking is
slow, effortful, and uncertain' so it's up to me to ensure there is time
planned for this to happen. Time to discuss, question, answer and reflect
are better spent than simple tasks that rarely stretch the mind. You'd be
surprised at how quickly time can fly when students get fully involved in their
learning. Identify what is important. What will make students
think? What will help students get a firm grasp of the content knowledge
you are sharing? Focus on that and ditch the rest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>4 - Learning objectives or not?</u></b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This will be the discussion of my next post where I aim to clarify poor
use of them and how to have them make more of an impact in lessons.
Whether or not you believe in LO's, or even have a choice in using them,
as Wiliam and Hattie talk about, lessons and learning need an aim/outcome/goal
(as long as it doesn't spoil the journey - D.Wiliam). Before planning the
content of my lesson it's important to identify what the aim or intention is.
Students also need to know this so they understand what they have learnt,
where they are and what they need to do next. Understandably, hand in
hand with LO's comes clear and transparent success criteria. Planning to
incorporate these in lessons is key. Pull out these objectives or
intentions from the curriculum, schemes of work or syllabus. But don't
let this restrict you. Be brave enough to go beyond what is prescribed
but be wary of time limitations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>5 - Learning first, then activities</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"It is relatively easy to think up cool stuff for students to do in
classrooms, but the problem with such activity based approach is that too
often, it is not clear what the students are going to learn"</span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">D.Wiliam 2011</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></blockquote>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Always plan what you want students to learn first. Many a naive
day as an early teacher I spent hours making and resourcing lessons with
numerous activities. Many of these rarely got beyond the surface level of
what I was teaching and hardly got them thinking at all. Cutting,
sticking, putting in envelopes.....cripes! Tessa Matthews tweeted a
comment out a while back stating:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Just remember the
golden rule: If a resource takes longer to make than to deliver, don't do it!" </span></blockquote>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Only because of mistakes in the past I now tend to agree. Planning
fewer and stronger activities with less resources and more thinking are far
more purposeful. If there is one thing I've learnt, it is that learning
something takes time. It can also be slow and we must allocate this time
to students to focus on what is important. If we consider what cognitive
scientists say as well, sometimes these activities actually divert attention
from the real learning and causes it not to be learnt at all. I also feel
that constructing less resourced activities means that I create more time to at
home to mark students books, think about my opportunities for feedback, begin
to identify the key questions I may ask in lessons and so on. Personally
this for me has been a much more effective use of my time and impacts the
learning in my classroom more than anything else. Think of simpler yet
stronger questions. Design activities that challenge and promote
thinking. Use tasks that help understand meaning as well analyse,
evaluate, hypothesise and predict. Time for me to be more effective and
efficient.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>6 - Looping the learning</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This has been my thought for a long time from teaching practical
lessons. Cycles or loops play a very </span>prevalent part in my planning.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Every time I teach a skill, it always loops back round and then
spirals into the next lesson. In fact it's the bread and butter of what
PE teachers (in my experience) do. It allows knowledge to be learnt,
embedded, assessed and then applied to the next topic. Bringing the
learning full circle at the end of a lesson and seeing what has been achieved
and what is still left to learn also informs future planning. This was
reinforced when I first dabbled with the Accelerated Learning Cycle in theory
lessons (TEEP is an adapted version of this). The cycle ensures that
learning is visited, worked on, revisited, fed back upon, revisited.....
Since then the foundations of my planning has been focused on moving away
from a linear pathway to a singular goal, instead looping the learning and then
spiraling this into new topics. Going full circle allows me to return to
the aim of the lesson and ascertain whether it has been learnt. If it
hasn't, I can work through a cycle on that particular aspect and then return to
assess understanding again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>7 - SOLO (Oh no!) and other structures</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a planning tool in itself, <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/SOLO%20Taxonomy" target="_blank">SOLO</a> has been revolutionary in my
teaching. Love it or hate it, using it as made what I teach, the order or
sequence I teach it in, much clearer. It's fundamental ideology of
teaching an idea, the facts, relating them and then extending or manipulating
the content makes perfect sense to me. As Hattie states in Visible
Learning:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Teachers need to
move from the single idea to multiple ideas, and to relate and then extend
those ideas such that learners construct, and reconstruct, knowledge and ideas.
It is not the knowledge or ideas, but the learner's construction of this
knowledge and ideas that is critical"</span></blockquote>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">SOLO has allowed me in terms of planning to structure what it is I
intend to teach. Our subject (GCSE PE) requires knowing and understanding lots
of individual pieces of information. For the particular topic we're
focusing on, it helps me break down what are the core components that need to
be taught. It allows me to build up knowledge very clearly which can then
be built upon with new knowledge or meaning. Once this knowledge is
learnt it can then be linked to other concepts with their relationships
explored. We can then go even higher up the taxonomy and think about
transferring this knowledge to new situations or asking abstract questions.
By it's nature it goes from shallow to deep learning. SOLO doesn't
have to be shared with students explicitly. If its only use is to merely
inform your planning it helps ensure the depth of content can be clearly and
visibly covered. SOLO isn't the only way of planning lessons though.
In fact I would strongly step away from prescribing a method. There
are no miracle cures or magic potions! Find what is effective and works
best for you and your students.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">* Now you may have noticed in my previous point that I intend to loop
the learning more. Make my lessons more of a cycle and then link through
into the next topic. I aim to move away from a linear structure with a
simple start and finish point. But hold on, SOLO by its image looks very
linear. Well it is if you use it like that. But after using it for
a while I've become confident in exploring a topic through the taxonomy.
This topic itself becomes a multi-structural component of a larger unit.
The individual topic therefore loops and spirals into a broader area of
study and allows students to create multiple links.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>8 - Know your group</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTkqqXPUbLzhuK16rafDE6dMmseslOGem7tDCjotiV-XmCZJQG2zOQa1S94mcLfcc-EnFwe5z_3jWzGQAXNPWenQW5RG396kvJegDk2iZXmSEcz5wCrrQF4KN1TonohEFNQdmqrEJD2nq/s1600/SOLO+Lesson.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTkqqXPUbLzhuK16rafDE6dMmseslOGem7tDCjotiV-XmCZJQG2zOQa1S94mcLfcc-EnFwe5z_3jWzGQAXNPWenQW5RG396kvJegDk2iZXmSEcz5wCrrQF4KN1TonohEFNQdmqrEJD2nq/s1600/SOLO+Lesson.JPG" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the most important things to consider when planning is knowing
your group. Using data and building upon prior achievement is essential.
Checking books, marking homework, formatively and summatively assessing
students allows you to build up a picture of how secure students content
knowledge is. Hattie rates prior achievement as having a <i>d</i>=0.67
effect size and is 'is a powerful predictor of the outcome of lessons'.
It is therefore important to consult this before planning your next
sequence of lessons. What do students already know? What still
needs covering? How best might I teach the content to this particular
group? All questions along these lines need you to have a finger on the
pulse as it were. From here you can then adequately pitch lessons and
challenge students.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Understanding and knowing your students is also important.
Although I teach PE and the stereotype is that they are all sports playing
students who love all activities, never once have I ever had two classes the
same. One student may be interested in Football with a different
understanding of sport to a student who is interested in Gymnastics. I
therefore need to consider this in my planning, especially when thinking about
how to explain an idea or put something into context. As Willingham talks
about in his book, one example for one student may not help another learn the
same piece of information. Knowing my students helps me plan to ensure
this doesn't happen. Variety is the key.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>9 - Getting challenge right!</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Planning and pitching the level of challenge of your lessons can be a
difficult task. It is important (as highlighted in my last point) that
knowing your group and where they are will help this. What you plan to do
needs to be related to prior learning - which is why formative and summative
assessment, and what you do with it, is so important. For a while I
thought I'd planned challenging lessons for all. But that was the
problem. I rarely differentiated on an individual level and predominantly
set the same task for all. Challenge should apply to the learning, not
merely the task. And the learning needs to challenge all students.
Now this is a real skill and one that I have been honing for a while.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So when planning challenge this year, I will pay particular attention to
the level of it in my lessons. It's important the I pitch it right.
Too easy and there is no reward. Feedback has less effect and
becomes low value. Too hard and it can provide a feeling that achieving
this goal is unobtainable. As Harry Webb talked about in a recent post,
it needs to be not too hot and not too cold (love the Goldilocks analogy to
ZPD). The only way I will know if the levels are correct is if I go back
and check prior attainment and know my group before planning my lesson.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So why pay more attention to challenge this year more than before?
Well because of the various factors that it links to. Memory and
feedback being two in particular. If we are to get the glutamate and
dopamine present <i>whilst </i>learning and thus commit <i>what </i>we
are learning to memory, we need to ensure that what work we set is challenging
(so there is potential for a reward - achieving the goal) and actually achievable
(to release the reward - chemicals). If work is too easy and not
challenging, these chemicals aren't released as highly and won't be committed
to the long term memory (the aim of learning). Similarly, as stated
above, the effect of feedback improves with the higher level of challenge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>10 - Memory, Curran, Willingham and Bjork</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-R4XPLJ9qx9g0cHVPqlD_jvc_muY7Ze926MMx4bJrWKaFU0wpzQ62QRYy2Xe9VGdbbtz3ppbfbFXh39dy4vwjU9Kt2ZYVtj645KnV6ySGPdLQYLrEy6jml9f4p2lg_cfgjGhKAb7yrtY/s1600/Blog+Brain.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-R4XPLJ9qx9g0cHVPqlD_jvc_muY7Ze926MMx4bJrWKaFU0wpzQ62QRYy2Xe9VGdbbtz3ppbfbFXh39dy4vwjU9Kt2ZYVtj645KnV6ySGPdLQYLrEy6jml9f4p2lg_cfgjGhKAb7yrtY/s320/Blog+Brain.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now I talk more about memory in my <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/can-i-be-that-little-better-atusing.html" target="_blank">next post</a> as there is a lot to cover. It's an area that I've been interested in for a number of years and one which I think can pose a number of considerations for planning. There are a number of principles put forward by numerous cognitive scientists, psychologists and </span>neurologists. These principles talk about how we believe the brain and memory works, and many suggestions have been put forward to how these principles can improve long term memory and learning. Even if you approach it with a sceptical eye, some of the considerations require only a small tweak to your planning, but the effects could improve how well a students learns and remembers what you teach them.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>11 - Backward design</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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This is a point mentioned in Visible Learning for Teachers and is something we have used a lot in the past. The principle is to decide on the end point or goal for a unit, topic, scheme or even lesson. This is the main important information that you wish students to learn. The procedure than involves working backwards and build up a route to the final intention. The process is excellent as it allows you to map out the fundamental pieces of information that is required, and then built upon, in order to reach the final goal. The process also allows you to identify the <b>main </b>concepts that need to be covered, as well as concepts that could be omitted, allowing you more time to cover the important information in depth. From the point of a cognitive scientist, stripping back what you teach and spending more time reinforcing, thinking and making meaning of the important concepts is a more effective way to learn the content. The process of working backwards and identifying the outcomes and goals at the start also means you spend the majority of your time planning the learning. Only after this is done and fleshed out, do you then look at activities. <br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>12 - Build in time for feedback and even more time to act upon it - high effect size so plan it</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFtJO86hDT1E7Y_23-vDZjpIUUje0nsW00pZl84JB7JSDZclPU3nxq8cX96JZCM1VRdAi0dfBWcVOSUVn03fXMNxXBLQspoYnPp4Do5pHNd8xynOh8bVMPcIGjg5SoRUwL16gHOtQM_Jwf/s1600/IMG_0347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFtJO86hDT1E7Y_23-vDZjpIUUje0nsW00pZl84JB7JSDZclPU3nxq8cX96JZCM1VRdAi0dfBWcVOSUVn03fXMNxXBLQspoYnPp4Do5pHNd8xynOh8bVMPcIGjg5SoRUwL16gHOtQM_Jwf/s320/IMG_0347.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a topic that I will cover in depth at a later date in more detail. Apologies for the buzz word, but if we are to 'close the gap' between where learners are and where they need to be, they need time to act upon any high quality feedback that they are given. At times though it can feel like books can be meticulously marked, only for the comments and subsequent improvements to lay idle in students books. If I am honest, in the past a large number of comments I have written have never been acted upon. But why would it if I don't build time in lessons to act upon feedback? And that is the big question. When can we find the time. With the mounting pressures of some subjects to get through endless content and fit it into a short time frame, finding that time to </span>dedicate<span style="font-family: inherit;"> time to improving work can be tough. But I really urge you to do so. In my later post I will look at methods you could use to make things stick, but in terms of planning there are some ideas and considerations you could look to implement. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A very simple way is marking books regularly, and upon returning them, setting aside the starter/bell work time, or even half of the lesson to allow students to improve their work. Read the feedback and act upon it. If it becomes regular enough students will become </span>accustom<span style="font-family: inherit;"> to it. Work will also improve.</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
Add
DIRT time. This is very similar to the idea above borrowed from <a href="https://twitter.com/LearningSpy" target="_blank">David Didau</a>. Simply meaning Directed Improvement and Reflection Time, start planning some DIRT in your lessons and get students acting upon comments.<br />
<br />
Or maybe, just maybe....? If you want to take a step further and really revamp your planning, you could go a long way by using the ideas of Ron Berger and the process of critique. I have blogged about this previously <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/creating-culture-of-critique.html" target="_blank">here</a> but it involves spending a lesson critically analysing students draft work and providing extremely structured feedback for each other. Time is dedicated to improving these these drafts and the process goes on. So why is this different from the other suggestions? Well, the quality of student-to-student feedback is a lot higher. Also, the process of giving, receiving and then acting upon feedback becomes a culture of your classroom.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "inherit","serif";"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>13 - Plan your key questions - not all but a few</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As you plan your lesson and review it (particularly looking at it through the eyes of the students), try to think about particular things you need students to really know, and areas where students might become confused. </span>Take 2 minutes to look through your plan and think 'What would I ask if I was in this lesson?' Any common misconceptions you can spot? <span style="font-family: inherit;">For these times, can you preempt this and begin designing some of your questions? I would encourage you to think about some strong questions which you can then use during the lesson to support the learning taking place. What I would put caution to is planning out all of your questions. When you get in the classroom the direction of students thinking can take multiple turns and there is no way you can plan questions for all eventualities. As you become more experienced you will be better equipped to shoot from the hips and deal with the twists and turns of students learning. Spending time thinking about a few key ones though are vital.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Plan your hinge questions as well. What are these I hear you say? They are questions you use at a key point in a lesson (usually after the main concept has been taught) to check the understanding. Presented whole class and in the form of a multiple choice, they allow a very quick snap shot before proceeding with the lesson. I'll talk more about these in a later blog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Using a taxonomy such as Blooms or <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/SOLO%20Taxonomy" target="_blank">SOLO</a> as a guide can also help you plan questions that increase in the level of thinking and challenge. Don't forget that remembering and understanding questions can be just as important as evaluating and analysing. More on this in a later post!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>14 - Marking to inform your planning </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A very wise man by the name of <a href="https://twitter.com/kennypieper" target="_blank">Kenny Pieper</a> once wrote a great <a href="http://justtryingtobebetter.net/marking-is-feedback-is-differentiation-is-planning/" target="_blank">blog post</a> on how marking can inform so much in terms of your lessons and really drive your planning. It is so important to act upon your marking and it gives a real insight into the understanding that students have. Mark more regularly and let what you find out direct what you plan in subsequent lessons. Were there any misconceptions and misunderstandings that you need to revisit next lesson? Think about it, if you don't use your marking, you could go lessons without realising students really didn't get what you talked about a few weeks back.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Also, can you plan opportunities for marking within lessons? Are there opportunities where you could plan an extended task (because its beneficial, not too just create time) where you can go and mark students books there and then. Instant impact and instant feedback!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>15 - And lastly, lesson plans (<a href="http://edssential.co.uk/2013/07/31/frightened-people-ticking-pointless-boxes/" target="_blank">box ticking!!</a>).</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Is there a miracle planning tool? The saviour of planning? A
best way of doing it? This is a tough area to talk about as Ofsted say
one thing, rumors from what inspectors have said contradict this. Some (not all) SLT and leadership teams can also misinterpret messages from above and prescribe methods. The key
message though should be plan thoroughly in whatever format suits yourself, your
subject, your students or your school. Remember that there are key
elements and ensure whatever planning format you choose, these key elements are included.
Mark work, formatively assess, use schemes and curriculum
documents.......will all help. Don't tick boxes for ticking boxes sake. Do what is right to plan the best lessons for your students.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-7021752183687921032013-07-10T13:34:00.001+01:002013-10-30T17:35:52.216+00:00Can we all be that little bit better?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have a feeling that this post may be the beginning of how I redefine myself as a teacher. My journey in education is probably as predictable as anyone else. After finishing a 4 year university course training me to become a PE teacher, I have spent year on year looking to refine my practice in an effort to make what I do, more effective and beneficial for the students I work with. My role as a Learning Innovator and part of the Learning and Teaching Group (LTG) has directed me towards various readings and literature. The gentle nudge from <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisFullerisms" target="_blank">Chris Fuller</a> to engage with the world of Twitter has brought me some great (and challenging) discussions about education. The world of <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/" target="_blank">blogs and blogging</a> has also opened my eyes and made various practices, pedagogy, research and ideas more accessible. All of this though has led me to scrutinise and think a lot harder about what it is that I do and how I deliver a lesson. It has made me think about what the various core ingredients that I could improve in my practice are to become that little bit better at what I do. It has made me wonder if what I am doing in lessons is the best it could be and actually effective at all.<br />
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So, just over a year on Twitter and various <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/" target="_blank">readings</a>/discussions later, and a number of blog <a href="http://dailygenius.wordpress.com/may-2013-dailydailygenius-still-leaning-against-the-spin/" target="_blank">post</a><u>s</u> from the like of <a href="https://twitter.com/kevbartle" target="_blank">Kev Bartle</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/HuntingEnglish" target="_blank">Alex Quigley</a> (<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/apr/11/expert-teachers-ok-plateau-professional-development" target="_blank">here</a>) and <a href="https://twitter.com/joe__kirby" target="_blank">Joe Kirby</a> (<a href="http://pragmaticreform.wordpress.com/2013/05/11/great-teaching/" target="_blank">here</a>) has led me to assess what I am doing and what do I need to do better. I've taken this self reflection approach many times before, but this time I am assessing my practice on a larger, more holistic scale, and looking at the various areas that I could improve for next year. The influence from cognitive science and those beloved effect sizes have really spun my current thinking on its head. The research and evidence based practice that is now more accessible than ever before ensures that there is never a moment to settle for second best. And why should I? My main goal is to educate students and 'coasting' in my practice will not ensure I do this as effectively as possible. There has been a quote from <a href="https://twitter.com/" target="_blank">Dylan Wiliam</a> which has been referred to a lot lately and relates to this, explaining:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">‘</span><i style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Every teacher needs to improve, not because they are not good enough, but because they can be even better’.</i><br />
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Now I feel that I can be better. In fact I know I can be better. I feel that through reflection on the specifics of my teaching, this micro-analysis will only help me move forward towards the teacher I wish to be. <a href="https://twitter.com/fullonlearning" target="_blank">Zoe Elder</a> may call this a marginal gains approach to the profession where I review and move forward the key areas by 1%. This marginal gains approach may not make my results improve dramatically, it may not make my students learn better immediately, it may not be seen as adequate to others in the profession (<a href="http://learningspy.co.uk/2012/11/24/is-there-a-right-way-to-teach/" target="_blank">is there even a right way?</a> as described by <a href="https://twitter.com/LearningSpy" target="_blank">David Didau</a>). But what I hope it does is helps me to do what John Tomsett calls <a href="http://johntomsett.wordpress.com/2012/12/08/this-much-i-know-about-keeping-the-main-thing-the-main-thing/" target="_blank">'Keeping the main thing the main thing'</a>. I have tried hard to ensure what I do though does have a positive impact and is backed up by principles, theory and evidence. So what will follow over the next few posts are things that I have read, digested, reflected upon and now plan to implement in my practice from next year. Gone are the various gimmicks and low impact activities. Instead what I aim for is a stripped back and simple approach, putting the core essentials at the forefront and focusing on elements that encourage effective learning. In come what theory confirms or evidence backs up. A new insight into how learners learn and how to maximise achievement will be the focus of my review. I aim to focus on what I believe combine to make effective learning in my classroom. Improvements in feedback, planning, assessment, use of learning intentions and questioning. I won't be changing the world in which I teach, throwing out everything I have ever done and starting from fresh. Instead I will be putting the core essentials under the spotlight and determining what I can do best.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhnzCDlxzPjmDGtodk4bp8Z3UQ3D8LvMuXeJD_ruV5eTW_3oaqYouAGlU-6EBj_gHYTfQ6Kj6j0Z8sUFz8OGoRIcxqYRSbBWfyQAmatSl2F9VT3wnNM2q-3Q7ksD4o68WC97NIBi8LZ-J/s1600/Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhnzCDlxzPjmDGtodk4bp8Z3UQ3D8LvMuXeJD_ruV5eTW_3oaqYouAGlU-6EBj_gHYTfQ6Kj6j0Z8sUFz8OGoRIcxqYRSbBWfyQAmatSl2F9VT3wnNM2q-3Q7ksD4o68WC97NIBi8LZ-J/s640/Blog.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The core principles of teaching & learning that I will put under the spotlight.</td></tr>
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My final thought before I go is 'Shouldn't all teachers be doing this anyway?'. Well as the various posts earlier talk about, we can get into the stage where we plateau after a few years of teaching. As workload increases and accountability mounts more and more pressure on us, there can be the sense or false worry that changing the status quo could be dangerous. It can lead to apprehension and hesitance in moving practice forward. But I feel that this is 'safe' approach. Identifying an area of weakness in our practice (as feedback in theory lessons was for me) and working on refining it ourselves, using what we know works and backed up by readings, is such a key aspect. It is taking control of your own CPD and actually working on what matters to you. And in the age of social media, this is now easier than ever. I honestly feel that as forward thinking as I am, the power of Twitter and <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/" target="_blank">educational blogs</a> is really what has kept me striving to progress further. Never have I had so many <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/" target="_blank">articles and posts</a> at the touch of a finger. It is this use of this <a href="http://pragmaticreform.wordpress.com/2013/07/06/social-media/" target="_blank">social media</a> that <a href="https://twitter.com/joe__kirby" target="_blank">Joe Kirby</a> talks about that could have its place in raising teachers professional practice. Finding that dedicated time throughout the year to scrutinise what it is you are doing is so important. Analysing what works, what evidence/research says could make it better and measuring the impact that your teaching is having in the classroom is key if we are going to keep educational quality moving forward. Maybe I finish with a challenge to you all. Take time to reflect, analyse the 1% gains, strive to be better and improve the quality of what we deliver to learners. I strongly feel we all have a duty to be that little bit better and now have the support and links available, more than ever before, to continuously do this. So if this post does anything, make it be that you find time to actually take control of your own development. Put yourself in charge. Read, connect, discuss and debate. But all in all, take the step to improve your practice. Not because you're not good enough, but because you (and I) can be even better.</div>
D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-87661691536477305112013-06-01T23:24:00.002+01:002013-06-02T10:11:01.104+01:00The Brookfield Blogging Project Part 1: Developing a starting point for educational readingJust over a year ago I was very subtly 'nudged' by <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisFullerisms" target="_blank">Chris Fuller</a> to get on and sign up to Twitter. Now I feel quite savvy around technology but I had up to that point, never indulged myself into social media. Chris did what he does best and explained to me the benefits of getting involved with this resource. I have to say that what it did was revolutionised my thoughts around teaching. I have always been very lucky through my responsibility role within school as it allowed me to investigate teaching and learning and speak with like minded individuals. But with a school our size and so many of these people dotted around the site, having these conversations often was limited. Researching and reading was (and still is) a big part of my job. But Twitter offered something different.<br />
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I'm guessing most of you reading this already know what Twitter offers. It offers the chance for you to speak to other educators almost 24/7 (watch out, Twitter can get slightly addictive!). It allows you to bounce ideas off of each other. Conversations about pedagogy and practice are always taking place. Debates allow people to see a balanced argument and then make an informed decision about what they will take away to their classroom. And out of all of this, one of the best parts for me, has been reading the numerous blog posts that get tweeted out on a daily basis. These posts break down research articles, talk about best practice, commentate on educational matters, provoke discussion and thought. They don't substitute in depth reading of a topic, but chunk down elements which you can then go off and follow up. It is this which I want to share with interested staff at our school.<br />
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In a conversation with our Headteacher about various books and readings, it was discussed that with work load and other commitments, continual reading for professional development isn't always achievable among teachers. Like myself, it's finding that time between marking, meetings, planning, paperwork and that all important work-life balance. I read a lot but sometimes a book won't get finished for a good half term/term. In our discussion, we talked about a way in which we could filter this reading in manageable chunks to staff who would read it if they wish. This is where blogs came in. Maybe, like in our <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/20-ways-to-get-involved-with-your.html" target="_blank">GEMS</a> idea, we could share an interesting blog with staff every week/fortnight which they could read. This isn't a new idea. In fact many teachers such as <a href="https://twitter.com/shaun_allison" target="_blank">Shaun Allison</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamTait" target="_blank">Jon Tait</a> do this already with staff. As always though I like to think bigger. Is there a way in which I could catalogue these posts, storing them online so they are always a click away? A central online library as such where you could click on a category and various thought provoking or inspirational posts would appear? So with that thought, on 3rd May I set up the Twitter account and website named <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/" target="_blank">Edssential</a>. <br />
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So what is <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/" target="_blank">Edssential</a>? Well, basically, it is an online blog post library. It's idea is incredibly simple. The site has various teaching categories such as <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/feedback/" target="_blank">feedback</a>, <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/planning/" target="_blank">planning</a> and <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/questioning/" target="_blank">questioning</a>. In each of these sections, there are a list of articles that have been shared on Twitter and on peoples blogs. <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/" target="_blank">Edssential </a>simply gives you a teaser of an article upon which you then click 'read more'. From here you are directed straight to the authors website or blog where you can continue to read it. <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/" target="_blank">Edssential</a> simply allows you to find what you want and then move you direct to the source. It acts as a one stop library/search site/archive. Because it's online, anyone is free to use it and follow.<br />
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Complimenting this is the Edssential Twitter account which shares various articles. These cover a range of topics and aim to inspire or be thought provoking. For the staff that sign up to Twitter, this will be an account that I will direct them towards to help them start their reading and network with the various authors.<br />
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So now it is set up, what will it do. Well, for the many teachers at our school who are getting on board with Twitter, it will make finding blog posts an easy starting point. Many teachers who are dabbling with Twitter in our school find the whole thing quite overwhelming. A colleague even described it as a 'sensory explosion' for teaching and learning. What <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/" target="_blank">Edssential</a> aims to do is make this very user friendly. If you need a starting point for a post on feedback, simply go to the relevant category on the site and begin reading through the relevant posts. The site automatically redirects you to the author so you can read further, read the comments and discussions, follow the author if they wish, even read other posts from the author. It aims to make the process of filtering educational reading to teachers a manageable experience.<br />
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And then what? Well, with discussion of our L&T group, the ultimate idea would be to share the site with all staff at our school. For many, the notion of blogging is something they are not familiar with. It is something that I was only introduced to in the last 18 months. But in terms of that discussion with my Headteacher about sharing readings, this could be a starting point. Getting this as the initial source to start their blog reading journey is as simple as it gets. Opening up the whole world of educational blogging may be (like myself) something that transforms a teachers thinking around education. If all it does though is give just a tiny glimpse of some of the thought provoking material out there, I will feel the site has served its purpose.<br />
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If any other schools or T&L/CPD groups feel that this would be of use, please feel free to use and share with your staff/colleagues. If any authors who I have linked to would like to be removed, please let me know through the <a href="https://twitter.com/edssential" target="_blank">@edssential</a> account. Please feel free to follow the account and use the site to find an array of thought provoking and inspirational articles. It's there to be used, so please do.<br />
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Edssential site: <a href="http://edssential.co.uk/">http://edssential.co.uk/</a><br />
Edssential Twitter account: <a href="https://twitter.com/edssential">https://twitter.com/edssential</a>D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-58017170988555899532013-04-24T21:53:00.000+01:002013-09-06T12:51:26.829+01:00Making revision work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZl4mfKKyiGFJzhyphenhyphenwYVWJdf1cz9gl03PKNHaPDVBL8wYMEHL_TKI_NoG52ca1MRBbcwvpiXPgTQ_7m82yMygfqxFxs73Xj0joszrFwQU-uyO7cS1y9ZfF4-XlMoI7_SvUh2h3qjg1AEF8_/s1600/Revision.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZl4mfKKyiGFJzhyphenhyphenwYVWJdf1cz9gl03PKNHaPDVBL8wYMEHL_TKI_NoG52ca1MRBbcwvpiXPgTQ_7m82yMygfqxFxs73Xj0joszrFwQU-uyO7cS1y9ZfF4-XlMoI7_SvUh2h3qjg1AEF8_/s320/Revision.jpg" width="320" /></a>Over the years I have run numerous revision sessions to GCSE groups. I have run Easter revision sessions, after-school revision sessions, online Twitter revision hours and one to one revision intervention groups. I have taught students the benefits of revision and the process of how it happens through leading our Year 9 Learning to Learn course. I have led revision assemblies for all Year 10's and 11's. I have even worked with staff to develop effective revision techniques that tie in with key ideas on how the brain works and stores information. I would be confident in saying that I believe I can run an effective revision programme that benefits students. However, this year I have really looked at my practice and refined (and pruned) the way that I approach teaching in general. This has allowed me to focus on what is essential in great teaching and revision is no different. As I approached the critical 'exam prep' season, I was very concious that I wanted to do away with all of the gimmicky 'activities' that probably take twice as much time to set up but have half the impact than other simpler ideas. I wanted to ensure that what I did had the key elements of effective learning. Any revision session I chose to construct had to allow me the opportunity to question students, check their understanding, provide feedback and feedforward, allow them a chance to act upon any comments, make improvements to their work, practice exam technique, allow the opportunity to model good exam structure, work collaboratively whilst revising with others and force students to make an action plan of areas in their knowledge that needed addressing.</div>
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Focusing on these key elements led me to <span style="font-family: inherit;">reading a number of interesting posts. Each post highlighted a different key aspect which when combined, would allow me to create a structure to my revision session that I be<span style="font-family: inherit;">lieved would help students. The first of these posts came from <a href="https://twitter.com/HuntingEnglish" target="_blank">Alex Quigly</a> (see <b><a href="http://huntingenglish.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/effective-exam-revision-drill-baby-drill/" target="_blank">here</a></b>) and focused on 'testing for learning' and using tests in revision which ultimately have a positive impact on learning. The use of tests or exam drills must be teamed up with repetition and skilled feedback for students. As Alex says, <i>'the act of retrieving information for a test is proven to recall more than simply restudying informatio</i><span style="line-height: 21px;"><i>n'</i>. Using exam questions with students can be tedious, but is bread and butter in terms of preparing them for the real thing.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 21px;">The second post I read was also from <a href="https://twitter.com/HuntingEnglish" target="_blank">Alex</a> and talked about the evidence behind revision techniques and helped me select the approach that I was going to use with my class. The post which is an excellent read can be found <a href="http://huntingenglish.wordpress.com/2013/04/07/effective-revision-strategies/" target="_blank">here</a> and is well worth taking a look at. It really helped me filter out activities that had little or no impact and allowed me to focus my attention on using what works.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 21px;">The next post wasn't based at all on revision but instead on effective use of feedback and how to 'close the gap'. It is written by <a href="https://twitter.com/headguruteacher" target="_blank">Tom Sherrington</a> </span><a href="http://headguruteacher.com/2012/11/10/mak-feedback-count-close-the-gap/" style="line-height: 21px;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="line-height: 21px;"> and summarises his visit to Saffron Walden Community High School and the approach to feedback policies that they use. The article got my mind thinking about how effectively I provide students with feedback and how I could implement it (especially the marking key) into my revision sessions.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 21px;">The next post was from <a href="https://twitter.com/anniemurphypaul" target="_blank">Annie Murphy Paul</a> and can be found <a href="http://anniemurphypaul.com/2013/04/the-perils-of-re-reading-it-makes-material-feel-familiar/" target="_blank">here</a>. In her article she summarises the perils of re-reading work as a revision strategy, using the work of <a href="https://twitter.com/DTWillingham" target="_blank">Daniel T. Willingham</a> as the basis of her post. It is a very thought provoking piece of writing and one which reaffirmed my own beliefs on the subject.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 21px;">The penultimate post was a one that I had used last year and inspired my to design a <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/as-i-venture-through-my-trial-of-using.html" target="_blank">SOLO stations lesson</a>. It is written by <a href="https://twitter.com/DVPLearning" target="_blank">@DVPLearning</a> and explains an observed revision lesson where the teacher used a method called 'Teach, Do, Review'. The full article can be found <b><a href="http://evteachingandlearning.blogspot.co.uk/2012_04_01_archive.html" target="_blank">here</a></b> but explains how the teacher split the class into three groups based on their competency in that particular topic, and then gave each group a different revision activity. The method he talked about resonated with me and allowed me to provide a differentiated revision lesson that allowed students to move between tasks in order to progress or recap a topic.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The last post was tweeted out by <a href="https://twitter.com/DKMead" target="_blank">Darren Mead</a> and talked about a PEEL task called a 'Five out of three' activity. A link to it can be found <a href="http://www.peelweb.org/admin/data/articles_online/i10p017a2.htm" target="_blank">here</a>. The activity encompassed so much of the core lesson essentials (questioning, feedback, time to act upon feedback, checking content knowledge....) and was one I would definitely use in my revision programme. </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, with all of these combined ideas, I created a 'Teach, Do, Review' lesson. The session is designed to draw upon the key points from the blogs above and ensure that the revision that takes place is both productive and meaningful.</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Teach, Do, Review (with a five out of three starting point).</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is probably important to point out at the start that this lesson was a 2 hour double theory lesson. This allowed me to run the full process.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">The starting point of the process involved me ascertaining the level of subject knowledge that student already had for my chosen topic area. It is important to find out what students already know and what areas still need refining. Wasting time covering a topic that students are already competent in is time not spent covering a topic that they are not. With time a very precious thing in the exam prep period, it is </span></span><span style="line-height: 21px;">important</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21px;"> I use it efficiently. Using Alex's advice in his post on using tests to retrieve information, I decided to use the '<a href="http://www.peelweb.org/admin/data/articles_online/i10p017a2.htm" target="_blank">Five out of three</a>' PEEL task as the basis for this.</span></span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/19808344" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin-bottom: 5px;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="427"> </iframe> <br />
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<strong> <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/davidfawcett27/teach-do-review" target="_blank" title="Teach do review">Teach do review</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/davidfawcett27" target="_blank">davidfawcett27</a></strong> </div>
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As students arrived I grouped them into paired teams based on their previous assessment levels. Similar ability students based on data would therefore work together and allow me the chance to tailor my feedback to their needs. The process of the session would be extremely simple. Students would receive six exam questions taken from the unit topic we were covering (physiology in this case). Students were able to choose any question to tackle first, therefore allowing them to prioritise them and create their own order. Students worked with their partner to answer the questions one at a time. They would not be able to use any resources (text books, note books...) at all. Everything had to be as a result from memory retrieval. When they had answered a question, they would hand it in for marking/feedback. <br />
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Each question varied in marks (from 1 mark all the way to 4 marks). They are low enough for the lesson to keep pace, selected carefully enough for me to check understanding (hinge questions if you may), varied enough to cover all aspects of the content and brief enough to allow me to mark them quickly. As the questions are marked, they receive a specific score out of three, irrespective of how many marks were on offer. The scores were as follow:<br />
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<li>1/3 = Answer was poorly answered</li>
<li>2/3 = Answer is fine but lacks detail, terminology, definitions, examples...</li>
<li>3/3 = Answer is as expected in the exam mark scheme. It would receive full marks in the actual exam</li>
<li>4/3 = The answer is above and beyond what is expected. </li>
<li>5/3 = The best answer in the class for that particular question</li>
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The use of the 4 and 5 out of 3 elements allows my more able students to stretch and demonstrate their content knowledge. As I allocated a score, I also added an annotation taken from my marking/feedback key inspired by Tom Sherrington's '<a href="http://headguruteacher.com/2012/11/10/mak-feedback-count-close-the-gap/" target="_blank">Close the gap</a>' post. This would allow students who received low scores to know what needed improving, without giving away the answer (it forces them to reflect, think harder, question each other....).</div>
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Students scores were then placed on a score table on the board which provided an element of safe competition. This aspect worked extremely effectively with my students. It also gave them feedback based on the outcome/their scores (knowledge of results). Students could then decide, if their score was low, to come and collect their marked answer and improve it using the marking key feedback (knowledge of performance). They could then resubmit it for marking again and hopefully improve their score.<br />
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This process lasted approximately 45 minutes of the first lesson. The nature of the task, and the instant marking, allowed me to quickly identify weak areas of content with students that I would therefore need to address in the future. Through the marking/feedback key and scoring, it also helped students improve their subject knowledge. The depth of questioning between partners was excellent as they tried to remember the answers. It only took one key word or memory trigger for the answer to come flooding back. I then addressed a few exam question weak points and modelled on the board, how to structure this type of short answer question in the future. The process of modelling the answer with the students helps develop and form good exam technique and habits.<br />
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I then asked students to categories themselves, based on their confidence in answering those questions, into three groups. The students who felt that they had clear gaps in their knowledge of this topic area would work with me in the '<b>Teach</b>' group. I would spend time with them going over the key content and explaining it again. I would be there to answer any questions and provide examples to help improve their understanding. Based on the assessment from the 'Five out of three' task, I could cover any obvious weak areas. At any point, if a students felt that they had covered the areas they were most concerned about, they could leave the 'Teach' group and move on.<br />
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The second group was the '<b>Do</b>' group. This group felt confident in the topic area but would benefit from covering a few areas again independently. Their tasks were based on Alex Quigley's <a href="http://huntingenglish.wordpress.com/2013/04/07/effective-revision-strategies/" target="_blank">post</a> and included the use of concept maps, along with gathering key definitions and terminology they were missing. The importance of making links within a topic were also important and students were encouraged to find connections/relationships with the information.<br />
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The last group was the '<b>Review</b>' group. This group would review their content knowledge by answering exam questions (based on the post <a href="http://huntingenglish.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/effective-exam-revision-drill-baby-drill/" target="_blank">here</a>) in an effort to demonstrate their understanding and thinking. They would have to leave an equal gap under their answers to allow them to redraft if needed. Once they had finished the questions they had them critiqued by a peer (already established in my class as explained <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/creating-culture-of-critique.html" target="_blank">here</a>) and annotated using our marking/feedback key. Students would then act on this feedback instantly and 'close the gap'. The redrafted answers would then be critiqued again until their content knowledge was secure and demonstrated in their answer.<br />
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The process has been an enormous success and has been used in our departments Year 11 exam preparation. The combination of the various posts detailed above, as well as listening to warnings on what not to do, have allowed us to combine and create a revision procedure that has made the process of revision effective and beneficial.D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7613254696076404674.post-80073448810547315672013-04-06T17:55:00.001+01:002013-09-06T12:52:36.552+01:00Creating a culture of Critique<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-MAa633UMiUsz69GLjb_78otgSwGDBeL-TikWZE35_iMth14g3aZAJQcsP6_l03tg6ak7IYC5PXHcMeWZ0UrOC6GjDU9_NJOYxiujr3WaUZ6Fdi0O3AJ2vpesJ5dV0h0slzICaVVmquE/s1600/Feedback+Effect+Size.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-MAa633UMiUsz69GLjb_78otgSwGDBeL-TikWZE35_iMth14g3aZAJQcsP6_l03tg6ak7IYC5PXHcMeWZ0UrOC6GjDU9_NJOYxiujr3WaUZ6Fdi0O3AJ2vpesJ5dV0h0slzICaVVmquE/s320/Feedback+Effect+Size.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A while ago I wrote a <b><a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/twitter-makes-you-thinkabout-acting.html" target="_blank">post</a> </b>reflecting on how I probably don't structure sequences in my practice to allow students the opportunity to properly act upon feedback. I then put a plan into action and wrote a <b><a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/acting-upon-feedback.html" target="_blank">post </a></b>about how I would therefore create dedicated times in my lessons for students to do something with the comments that I or their peers had given them. As a PE teacher I'm not the best at remembering to do these sorts of things so I came up with a few ideas to ensure I did. The one idea that shone through was using a process called 'Critique'. This method of getting work analysed and unpicked sounds very similar to traditional peer or self assessment. And there are similarities. What critique does differently though is develop the process by getting the feedback and feedforward more specific and refined. It forces the feedback that is given to be more focused on specific features or elements. All of the comments are designed to allow the writer/author/artist to take away that particular draft and know exactly what elements need focusing on. The feedback becomes similar to that of a set of instructions, all with the purpose of driving forward the quality of a piece of work.<br />
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Critique also goes beyond an end of lesson activity and with simple protocols, makes the giving and receiving of feedback the culture of the classroom. It pushes you to deliver a dedicated lesson which involves only the process of critiquing work, rather than "Right, swap books with your partner and give them two stars and a wish. You have 5 minutes to do this". It requires the teacher to model the method of critique using actual student drafts or exemplars, and can be done in a number of ways including an 'In depth class critique' or 'Gallery critique'. The end result of doing this process over time is students critique each others work naturally and seek feedback independently of teacher instruction. Here is where the <b>culture </b>is developed.<br />
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So why do I love the idea of critique? Well, based on the various sources of research, evidence, blog posts, discussions of Twitter and so on, feedback is a big deal. In my eyes, quality written/verbal feedback ranks higher than the giving of grades and levels although it is often the other way around with students. Effective feedback that specifically highlights exactly what is good about a piece of work (so can be repeated and become habitual) and what exactly needs to be improved (to drive this piece of work towards excellence) is such an important component of the learning process (much more so than knowing a grade or level). But so often in my own practice, there have been times when the feedback I have written is never followed up. There are also still those fixed mindset students who are grade focused (as excellently explained <b><a href="http://pragmaticreform.wordpress.com/2013/04/06/assessment/" target="_blank">here</a> </b>by <a href="https://twitter.com/joe__kirby" target="_blank">@joe__kirby</a>) . This is where the process of critique is different.<br />
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As a number of teachers are increasingly engaging students to peer or self assess pieces of work, we need to first teach them how to do this. The research from G. Nuthall talks roughly about how <i>80% of feedback students receive is from their peers. But 80% of this student-student feedback is wrong</i> ties into this. The rules, protocols, modelling, dedicated time and culture surrounding critique is therefore a great method for avoiding this low return rate. So what is it that makes critique different? Well, if you haven't already, I would highly recommend that you buy and read Ron Berger's <b><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/An-Ethic-Excellence-Building-Craftsmanship/dp/0325005966" target="_blank">'An Ethic of Excellence'</a></b>. In this book, Berger exemplifies the process and breaks down the structure for forming effective critique sessions. He is driven towards getting students to value their work and create pieces of excellence. The mantra of <i>'If it's not perfect it isn't finished'</i> echoes some of his values. There are a number of additional factors (such as publicly displaying work, having an authentic element to the work and so on that add to this) but the core foundation of critique is key to producing excellent work and ensures that feedback is given and acted upon. And as I said before, make critique part of your classroom culture rather than an activity or task.<br />
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So how do you do this? There are a number of methods but the core principles stay the same. I would recommend reading Berger's book or read this <b><a href="http://www.innovationunit.org/sites/default/files/Teacher's%20Guide%20to%20Project-based%20Learning.pdf" target="_blank">guide </a></b>from the Innovation Unit. The following tips are how I adapted and implemented the critique process during my <a href="http://reflectionsofmyteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/the-big-solo-and-pbl-mash-up-part-1.html" target="_blank">PBL </a>project.<br />
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Before you even start the critique process, it's important to establish the following steps:<br />
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1 - <b>Examples of excellence:</b> Introduce a piece of exemplary work similar to what students will need to complete (an example of excellence). Critique it with the class. Draw out what it is that makes this piece such a high standard including key terminology. Create a success criteria for the piece of work which students use to complete it. You will use this in your first critique session.<br />
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2 - <b>Drafts:</b> Call the work students create 'drafts'. This may seem irrelevant but it actually gets students into the mindset that the work they are completing will be critiqued and it will be redrafted. By calling it a draft it explains that work is not finished and that improvements can always be made until you do get to a finished product (providing your success criteria is strong enough).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Infographic by @saidthemac</td></tr>
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1 - <b>Give critique time!</b> Usually a whole lesson should be set aside for a critique session. Time is needed to model the process, allow for detailed analysis, the giving of feedback and acting upon it. Don't rush it! What about the time element though? If I have only 6 weeks to cover the content of a unit/module/scheme, I don't have time to review work. Well actually, critique improves the quality of the work and reinforces the content if you ask students to focus on this. By actively seeking out errors in content, it develops the level of their understanding. Once again, set aside time! It really will benefit the process.</div>
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2 - <b>Establish the rules:</b> Berger uses three very simple rules when using critique. These rules ensure that the quality of the feedback is improved. They are:</div>
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Be kind:</span></b> All comments should focus entirely on the work. No personal comments at all. No sarcasm or put downs. The comments can be challenging but the creator of the work should feel that the feedback is work orientated and happy to receive it. Hard on content, soft on people. </div>
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Be specific:</span></b> Refined and precise dialogue with detailed explanations on positives and steps to improve. Comments should explain exactly what needs to be worked on (like a set of instructions) which the writer can simply take away and use.</div>
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Be helpful:</span></b> If the comments don't benefit the work, the learning, the learners or the class, don't share it. Everything you provide feedback on is there to help make the work better.<br />
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3 - <b>Model the process:</b> Using a piece of work or exemplar, model the process of critique to your students. Show them exactly the how to critique work. This is normally done by the teacher and in the form of an 'In depth critique' to the whole class. Share terminology that you are using. Refer to the success criteria from when you first set the work. Demonstrate exactly how you are focusing on key details. Scaffold what good feedback/feedforward comments actually are. Get students involved in this and see if you can refine the comments further.<br />
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4 - <b>Banned words</b>: Promote the use of specific terminology that you drew out of the initial exemplar piece of work. Promote the use of these words and the success criteria whilst critiquing the work. We are trying to develop students vocabulary and make the feedback they give specific and helpful. Also encourage any topic specific terminology. For instance, if you are creating a piece of music, use actual words that the industry and composers use. Create a list of banned words. Get rid of 'It's good' and 'I like it'. They are not specific and definitely not helpful.<br />
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5 - <b>Allow students to critique</b>: Using what you have just modelled, allow students to critique each others work. Use the success criteria to structure what it is students focus on. Focus on one element at a time. This may be asking students to look at the opening paragraph in an article they have written and see if it answers the Kipling's questions (who, where, what, when, how, why - basic guidance from local journalists that all articles should start with). You may simply ask students to critique the spelling, punctuation and grammar. Maybe ask them to focus on the shape of the wings (as shown in Berger's video above). The important thing is to make the elements you want critiqued to be clear. Ask students to critique too much and the specific nature of their feedback/feedforward gets confused. Critique sessions can also take on two forms:<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Formal in depth critique</span></b>: This is similar to the process that you have just modelled. Students look at each other work and focus on an element at a time. They identify good points that match the success criteria, and pick out specific parts that need improving (or if tweaked, could make the work better). A copy of the critique sheet I use (which is differentiated) can be found <b><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/9iulmpj2jgctqfn/Critique%20Sheet%20Draft%201.docx" target="_blank">here</a></b>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhif0QKOV5In_NZu2vx8O11xj-DRjzJdxYsPp52j-lig6aqBojWJz0GEPGdnlXuBtwcmXww7noytoifT7l3g_GnDkNlW1pMU0jQn4eEPHcmlYuMgeUcvp1JXWo7Y43WcR6A9IEwxHkdru8-/s1600/IMG_0347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhif0QKOV5In_NZu2vx8O11xj-DRjzJdxYsPp52j-lig6aqBojWJz0GEPGdnlXuBtwcmXww7noytoifT7l3g_GnDkNlW1pMU0jQn4eEPHcmlYuMgeUcvp1JXWo7Y43WcR6A9IEwxHkdru8-/s320/IMG_0347.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In depth critique - from my Year 11 GCSE lesson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Gallery critique</span></b>: This is where work is displayed in a gallery style (on a wall, laid out on tables, on presentation boards). Ask students to individually walk around and look at one or two pieces of work. Ask them to focus on one specific element. Students write feedback on a post it note or feedback slip and place it below the work. Snowball this and ask them to discuss their comments with a peer. Move on and repeat the process on another piece of work, either with the same or different focus.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyms686YufI3EjCziVRk2CPUfVMnBHuWJ3a4gU5nTVCarOLP_RBvTrdu9mPXaXoCNmgKmnjWru72FbKpfgYbwUfSeVunPnEJdVUQJ6L-dUKQiWp__XHWLh74qdU7uUi9epSX1CK6o3cVKW/s1600/HTH+Jamie.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyms686YufI3EjCziVRk2CPUfVMnBHuWJ3a4gU5nTVCarOLP_RBvTrdu9mPXaXoCNmgKmnjWru72FbKpfgYbwUfSeVunPnEJdVUQJ6L-dUKQiWp__XHWLh74qdU7uUi9epSX1CK6o3cVKW/s320/HTH+Jamie.bmp" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gallery Critique: Picture courtesy of Jamie Portman.</td></tr>
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6 - <b>Critique the critique</b>: Particularly in the early days of introducing critique, get students to review the comments that have been given to them. Are they refined enough? Are they specific enough? Do they pinpoint exactly what needs improving? If anything is unclear, model how to develop it with the class. Use examples of good and bad critique comments with the class. This is taking peer assessment to the next level so knowing how to give effective critique comments needs support. <br />
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For the more able students in your class, get them to use questions in the feedback they give to the recipient. Comments such as 'Could you eliminate the number of redundant words in your final paragraph to conclude your argument....' make those individuals who are able to, really think about amending their work. <br />
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6 - <b>Redraft</b>: This is the vital element! <b><u>Dedicate actual time</u></b>, in that session, for students to begin redrafting their work. They need the guidance, the support, the ability to question those who gave them the feedback, the teachers careful eye.....all to help structure the redraft process. Don't simply let this be done for homework. It can be but initiate the redrafting section in your class. Students need to get into the mindset that work needs reworking if it is to become something of beauty. As Berger states, you wouldn't put on a school production without practising it over and over again, making improvements after improvements, until it was perfect. Unfortunately some students will not initially see the benefit of redrafting. To combat this, get students to keep every copy of their drafts. Get them to number them and point out the improvements and developments they have made as the go through their multiple drafts. This is where keeping portfolio's for students makes sense. <br />
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7 - <b>Culture</b>: It takes time but creating a culture with your students is so important. We need to make students value feedback. We need to get students to want to seek it out. We need to make students want to make the work they are producing better and better. We need to help them develop their content knowledge and actually look at the feedback given to them. We need to help them actively read the feedback they are given and make the improvements identified. We need them to see the benefit of this effort and hard work improves work vastly (providing the feedback is good). It does take time, and there will be some reluctant students, but creating beautiful work and developing content knowledge is important. And it is from structured feedback, not necessarily grades, that ensures this happens. Incorporate this regularly into your practice and maybe the quality of feedback in your classroom will increase.</div>
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<b><u>Resources</u></b><br />
The following links may help you develop your understanding further about the process of critique. They may also help you understand the difference between critique and traditional peer assessment. Please look through them and see the benefits that dedicated critique time can have. The first presentation are quotes from teachers using critique. The video is from a session where I delivered a critique introduction to all staff. The final presentation is what I referred to during that presentation.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/16274843" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin-bottom: 5px;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="427"></iframe><br />
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<strong> <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/davidfawcett27/critique-teachers-perspective" target="_blank" title="Critique - Quotes, perspectives and useful links">Critique - Quotes, perspectives and useful links</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/davidfawcett27" target="_blank">davidfawcett27</a></strong> </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fELVTgE8VMo" width="560"></iframe>
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Video of the T&L briefing I gave to all staff on critique.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/16274924" style="border-width: 1px 1px 0; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="427"> </iframe><br />
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<strong> <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/davidfawcett27/critique-presentation-16274924" target="_blank" title="Critique presentation">Critique presentation</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/davidfawcett27" target="_blank">davidfawcett27</a></strong> <br />
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David Didau blog on critique: <a href="http://learningspy.co.uk/2013/02/08/improving-peer-feedback-with-public-critique/">http://learningspy.co.uk/2013/02/08/improving-peer-feedback-with-public-critique/</a><br />
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Darren Mead numerous posts on critique: <a href="http://pedagogicalpurposes.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/critique">http://pedagogicalpurposes.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/critique</a><br />
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Darren Mead additional posts on critique: <a href="http://pedagogicalpurposes.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/critiques">http://pedagogicalpurposes.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/critiques</a><br />
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Tait Coles on critique: <a href="http://taitcoles.wordpress.com/2012/06/07/public-critique/">http://taitcoles.wordpress.com/2012/06/07/public-critique/</a><br />
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Tait Coles post and videos from #TMClevedon on critique: <a href="http://taitcoles.wordpress.com/2012/10/22/critique-its-a-culture-thing/">http://taitcoles.wordpress.com/2012/10/22/critique-its-a-culture-thing/</a><br />
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Ron Berger on critique: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1znB1ox0_EI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1znB1ox0_EI</a><br />
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Ron Berger (part 2) on critique: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2K75WO7a70">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2K75WO7a70</a><br />
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Alex Quigley post on gallery critique: <a href="http://huntingenglish.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/motivating-students-using-gallery-critique-blogsync/">http://huntingenglish.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/motivating-students-using-gallery-critique-blogsync/</a><br />
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Russell Hall numerous posts on critique and work of Berger: <a href="http://rug62.edublogs.org/">http://rug62.edublogs.org/</a><br />
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Martin Said blog link to the amazing Infographic from above: <a href="http://teachingandlearningmusic.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/critique-infographic-bookmark-non.html">http://teachingandlearningmusic.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/critique-infographic-bookmark-non.html</a><br />
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David Price OBE blog post on creating multiple drafts and using critique: <a href="http://engagedlearning.co.uk/the-learning-power-of-multiple-drafts-and-critique/">http://engagedlearning.co.uk/the-learning-power-of-multiple-drafts-and-critique/</a><br />
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D Fawcetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01543445770169804340noreply@blogger.com5