Practical strategies to support student progression Sharing ideas and working together Annabelle Sampson and Mandy King June 2012.

Practical strategies to support student progressionSharing ideas and working together

Annabelle Sampson and Mandy KingJune 2012

Practical strategies to support student progressionSharing ideas and working together

Feedback of best practice from a range of teaching and learning staff members from

TCS Exeter Road

Conversation to promote and assess learning

Lesson start

At the start of a lesson, I may ask a student to explain previous work, under the guise of either not having been in the previous lesson or not remembering, so that I know whether they have enough knowledge to move forward with. By asking them in this manner, they do not feel like they are being tested, but rather, that they are helping me. This enables us to have a dialogue where the student also feels valued.

Activities and encouraging independence

Individuals – I ask students to explain a task/their understanding of what we have studied. If they are unsure I may ask a student next to them to explain to us both. Then I would ask the first student to explain to me again. This encourages students to use conversation and the resources around them to improve their understanding.

Whole class

This is often through walking around the class and checking that quieter students are not overlooked. This may involved checking over the students’ shoulders whilst they are working and using questioning to guide them on how their work can be moved up to a higher level. If I spot a common misunderstanding or misconception I will ask the teacher for clarification, either discreetly, or by putting my hand up and asking the teacher as a ‘student’, so as to make the students feel comfortable about the misconception and to model ways in which they can ask for further clarification.

Classroom Teaching Assistant – Subject and SEN responsibility

Carl

Teaching and Learning Staff – Whole class responsibility

Whole class, organisation and paired activities to promote and assess

learning

End of the lesson

One of the difficulties with assessing student progress and learning in PE, is that the whole class are outside and so assessment of progress has to be done through discussion and without resources or a screen.

Plenary Paired Question and Answer

‘In pairs, partner 1, describe to partner 2:•3 teaching points of a badminton serve.

Partner 2 tell partner 1:•2 things they did well in badminton and 1 thing they could do to improve.

•Be ready to feedback to the class if asked.’

This activity ensures that all pupils are participating in measuring their own progress, and the progress of their peers.

It means that all students are accountable for discussing and explaining what they have learnt.

It is then possible to ask individuals to feedback about their own progress and the progress of their partners. Other students can be asked to put their hand up if they had discussed or fed back something similar. This allows the teacher to judge the progress of the class as a whole.

HTLA - Whole class and small group responsibility

Monitoring and using assessment data to promote and assess learning

The traffic light system

We display this information on the white board in our classroom, this lets the students, myself, and the teacher know exactly what students have achieved and really motivates the students.

Students can also find this document in student resources so they can keep track of their work, and measure their own progress.

Lesson targets can also easily be set using this system, as it is clear for students and staff to see what has been achieved, and what still needs to be worked on.

To visually see their work progress really helps the students and lets them and the staff know that learning is taking place.

Red – Work not started.Orange – Work has started but not completed.Green – Work is complete and has been marked.

Learning Supervisor and Librarian – Accelerated Reader responsibilities

Resourcing and Displays to promote and assess learning

Word Tree

The ‘Challenge’

Students are asked to challenge themselves by picking up on any words that they read, or hear, but do not understand. They are asked to do this in their Accelerated Reader lesson, but also to do in their other lessons, and outside of the classroom.

They are then asked to write down the word on a ‘leaf’, to look up the meaning of the word in a dictionary, and the record the meaning. This word is then added to the ‘Word Tree’ for future reference, and to help other students.

This helps to support student progress as it encourages students to really think about the vocabulary that they see and hear, and to be active in understanding that vocabulary. It also encourages them to act independently by using dictionaries.

The Display

The fact that the words are displayed publically also encourages students as they can see that other pupils struggle to understand some words, and that those pupils have acted in a way to improve their understanding. They can extend their vocabulary by reading the word tree.

Similarly, staff can use the display for individual and class based activities as the ‘leaves’ can be read out and discussed.

So many ‘leaves’ have been handed in that the display is growing rapidly!

Learning Supervisor – whole class responsibilities with planning

Scaffolding and modelling tasks to promote and assess learningScaffolding the activity with resources•The aim of this section of the lesson was for students to be able to explain the role of different chefs in the kitchen. •To achieve this, tasks were broken down, to ensure that students were allowed to progress step-by-step. This meant that students would actively engage with the material, and would be assessed and confident that they had achieved each step, before moving ahead.

Resources•Worksheet with a table listing the types of chefs and a blank column.•Laminated cards with the answers for the blank column.•The film, Ratatouille.

Activity•Students were given a table with a blank column for the role of each chef to be explained.•Students watched a short clip from Ratatouille, which listed all of the jobs of the chef. This was to provide students with the evidence that they needed, in a visual and engaging way. •In groups of 3, students then had enough knowledge to place the laminated cards onto the table, next to the section that they thought it explained. •Each group fed back an answer, and other students were able to explain whether they agreed or not. Cards could be moved if students had the wrong answer. •Once answers were agreed, students had the correct information that they needed to progress with. They could put that information into their own words on the table, and actually explain the role of each chef themselves.•The modelling of the correct answers through the card sort encouraged progression, and allowed for self and peer assessment.

Learning Supervisor– Whole class responsibility

Start of the lesson

I would ask students about what they had learnt last. Even if the teacher has explained this in the notes, it is important for the students to recap and reflect on what they knew so that they have something to build on. It also allows me to assess the depth of their knowledge and understanding from previous lessons, so that I know what would consist of new learning in this lesson.

If I find that the lesson is a new topic, I know that anything they can explain about that topic at the end indicates progression.

During the lesson

Questioning the whole class and individuals during the learning activities allows me, and the students, to assess understanding.

I may ask a volunteer to feedback a point, and ask the rest of the class to put their hand up to show whether they agree or disagree with the student. This would allow me to assess the progress of the whole class.

This would also allow me to facilitate a discussion from there if further clarification and understanding was needed.

End of the lesson

I will use a form of questioning to assess progression. For example, I may ask students to give me a fact that they have learnt, that no one else has given me. This allows me to assess whole class, and individual learning. I can then inform the class teacher on the extent of progress that had been made during their lesson.

The use of questioning to promote and assess progression

Cover supervisors have to enter a lesson without any preparation time. They do not necessarily know the class, or anything about their previous achievement or progression in the subject that they are covering for.

In these circumstances, questioning can be an easy way to measure and encourage progression.

Our Key Areas

• Wait Time

• Body Language

• Specific Praise

• Resources

• Prompts

• Adult modelling-my turn, your turn

• Specific questioning

• Prove it!

• Pupil reflection-what have you learned? (self-assessment)

• Discussion between peers

• Be aspirational with what you want them to achieve

• Make notes

• Support them in developing their answers

• Extension-have something up your sleeve

Our Key Areas

• Talk to the person next to you -

What do you these key areas mean to you?

Do you think they are important?

If so...how? Why?

Useful prompts!

• Try that again

• Prove it

• You try

• Were you right?

• How do you know?

• Think what you know that might help

• I like the way you…..

Video Study

• Video of Jasmine • Please focus

on the five key areas we have highlighted

Reflections

• Share in pairs what you saw happening – Could you identify the key areas?

• Share with the group any reflections you have made.

Video Study

• Video of Tia

• Please focus on the five key areas we have highlighted

Reflections

• Share in pairs what you saw happening – Could you identify the key areas?

• Share with the group any reflections you have made.

Thinking about your practice

• On your ‘ideas’ paper note down how you feel you respond to any or all of these key areas in your work with children

Video Study

• Video of Jack • We will watch the same clip a few times

• We will focus on the five key areas again

Reflections

• Share in pairs what you saw happening – Could you identify the key areas?

• Share with the group any reflections you have made.

Rectangular numbers

• Your turn to try out some of the ideas you have seen today!

Gap Task...the scary bit!

• We are going to ask you to video your work with one child or a couple of children

• No one other than you...and anyone you want to share the magic or tragic moments with...will see your video

• After you have grumbled to yourself about how awful you sound try to focus on at least two of the key areas. What do you find out about how you work with the child/children?