First meeting of Learning Teams

Why is 16 March important?

Is it for :

• The launch of the first liquid fuelled rocket in 1926?
• The first Annual National Book awards in 1950?
• The first FA cup final played in Bolton in 1872? or even
• The first release of Can’t Buy Me Love in 1964?

The answer is none of the above!

As interesting and important as these events might be, in our context they are not the answer!

The answer is :

The first East Lothian Learning Team held its inaugural meeting on 16 March 2005!

Thirty representatives from schools in the Musselburgh and Prestonpans clusters came together to form a supportive and enquiring community with the sole purpose of enhancing learning and teaching in our schools.

During the course of the day the group, representing pre school, primary and secondary sectors, established common ground and the way forward for the team.

We looked at a range of areas :

• Formative assessment strategies
• What makes effective teaching
• Resources which might prove helpful
• How to keep a journal of activity
• The impact of teachers on learning – mainly the messages, often unintentional, our actions / words / body language can have on our students
• Highlighting concerns related to effective teaching and children’s progress
• Agreeing points for action and the way forward

This was a very engaging first meeting and involved everyone in animated discussion and sharing of ideas. Team members also identified areas where they would like more information.

The group will meet again at the end of May but a drop in support arrangement has been put in place for the end of each month.

What Makes It Work??

On reflection about a recent piece of teaching that really went well, the team identified the following key aspects:

• Fun
• All inclusive
• Teacher preparation
• Shared outcomes – what / how / success criteria
• Work was interesting / appropriate / relevant
• Intrinsic motivation
• Ownership / active learners
• Good feedback
• Flexibility

There was a great deal of discussion both during and in the presentation of this.

Shared outcomes, motivation and active learners came up most often but the point was made about being aware of the impact age and stage, class dynamics, topic being studied.

This activity used the engine room format (snowballing)

As a group we also raised awareness of the kinds of actions that can impede learning – how we use classroom assistants, setting, feedback, praise, difference between performance orientation and learning orientation. This session was certainly “food for thought”.

The main session, once we had established common ground, was to raise the issues we felt caused concern in our classrooms.

This ran using an open space format.

Sitting in a circle everyone was invited to raise an issue then write it up.

Once we had 5/6 and it was clear there were no further burning issues the group chose which issue was of most interest / useful to them.

The groups were led by the originators of the issues.

The remit was to discuss and come up with 3 action points.

The results were presented then each team member was given 10 stickers to allocate to aspects they felt were most relevant to them. The allocation of stickers was a very personal decision and all 10 could be given to one aspect or any variation depending on what the individuals felt.

 

This gave us our agenda for action.

Issues as raised :

• Children refusing to take part
• Children who “switch off” during think time
• Children who cannot complete tasks
• Feedback – always same / specific to some children
• Low grade disruption leading to time wasting
• Learning tables and spelling patterns so it reflects in their work
• Find learning aims not specific enough to task
• Bright child not achieving – wants to be part of top group not a loner
• Open ended and challenging questions

 

The first 3 were grouped together with disruption and that provided 6 groups which once choices were made gave us 5 groups.

The action points and voting were as follows:

Children who …switch off, go off task, refuse to take part, disrupt

1. Identify the learning styles of the children concerned (28)
2. Pupils involved in identifying/choosing learning outcomes (motivation) (14)
3. Find / identify attainable personal challenges (23)

Feedback

1. two stars and a wish (1)
2. Visual link for children in their jotters between the

learning outcome and success criteria

colours green/ orange / red underline (21)

1. Focus / plenary on next steps/improvements

Link between pupil self evaluation and focused

teacher feedback (26)

Learning Aims / applying learning – tables/ spelling patterns

1. start with 1 specific aim (1)

2. Reinforce throughout the lesson (2)

3. Plan structure including a plenary (16)

 

1. visual evidence round the classroom and in jotters (4)

2. linking patterns in tables and looking at addition

3. observing how they work – talk to the children to see

how they perceive their learning (18)

 

Able children under achieving

1. raise self esteem (14)

2. See bigger picture

3. personal targets – improving own/ own criteria(PLP)/

how will you know

(David Beckham) (14)

 

How to use more challenging questions

( tell me about it / why do you think that is? / how )

 

1. discussion options ( 2 correct/2 not/2 maybe) (1)

2. teach children to ask good questions (28)

3. Use a variety of strategies to rephrase questions – turn learning outcome into a question / turn question

into a statement (13)

4. Create a culture when any answer is acceptable –

(inclusion) (18)

Issues to take forward

Teach children how to ask a question

- Identify the learning styles of the children concerned

- Focus/Plenary on next steps

- Find/Identify attainable personal challenges

- Visual links for children between learning outcomes and

Success criteria

Members of the Learning Team have been asked to select from these issues, to work on between meetings

 

Summary of the second meeting