“why are we doing this sir?” using the foundation strand to motivate pupils and raise...
TRANSCRIPT
““Why are we doing this Sir?”Why are we doing this Sir?”
Using the Foundation strand to motivate pupils and raise achievement from lesson to lesson
(How can we make the starts of lessons more challenging, fun and worthwhile and help pupils make real progress?)
Before 5.30pm we will
See how more purposefulmore purposeful lessons are linked to the way they actually start
Develop an understanding of many different and varied ways of starting many different and varied ways of starting lessonslessons to encourage greater motivation, engagement and challenge.
Pacey starts can be crucial
Per lesson Over the Key Stage 3
1 minute saved 2 hours saved
2 minutes saved 4 hours saved
3 minutes saved 6 hours saved
Common ways of starting a lesson
Sit down and get your books out Copy the date and title then listen to teacher Quick recap on the previous lesson Take the register Answer a few brief questions before the
lesson fully develops Stand behind your chair Hand books out Waiting for silence
But “fun” and pacey starters can quickly lose their appeal
with staff and pupils Head of Geography (Nottinghamshire)
said
“I realised very quickly that it was important to have a wide variety of starter/plenary ideas as possible to prevent them from becoming stale.”
How do their brains work?How do their brains work?
Three brains for the Three brains for the price of one!price of one!
1. 1. The reptilian brain The reptilian brain (brain stem) deals with the (brain stem) deals with the
5 F’s5 F’s
(i) Fight(i) Fight
(ii) Flight(ii) Flight
(iii) Flock(iii) Flock
(iv) Freeze(iv) Freeze
(v) Sex(v) Sex
Think of the intelligence of a Think of the intelligence of a newt..stay alive and try to have newt..stay alive and try to have
sex….or an undergraduate!sex….or an undergraduate!
How do their brains work?How do their brains work?
Three brains for the Three brains for the price of one!price of one!
2. 2. The limbic system The limbic system (emotional brain) deals (emotional brain) deals
with emotionswith emotions
(i) Long-term memories(i) Long-term memories
(ii) Experiences emotions(ii) Experiences emotions
How do their brains work?How do their brains work?
Three brains for the Three brains for the price of one!price of one!
3. The neocortex (Thinking 3. The neocortex (Thinking Cap) deals withCap) deals with
(i) Speech(i) Speech
(ii) Processing new information(ii) Processing new information
(iii) Abstract thought and (iii) Abstract thought and reasoningreasoning
If you put the emphasis solely on If you put the emphasis solely on winningwinning people will first try to people will first try to cheatcheat. . And secondly, they will try to win And secondly, they will try to win with the with the minimum of effortminimum of effort because because that shows that they are even better.”that shows that they are even better.”
Professor Cary Cooper…clearly seen those lads at the Professor Cary Cooper…clearly seen those lads at the back of your classroom!back of your classroom!
What tasks do we use to start lessons?What tasks do we use to start lessons?
Activity…the High Challenge-Low Challenge game
High challenge refers to the extent to which “high-order” thinking is demanded by the starter activity
Activity…the High Challenge-Low Challenge game
How did you differentiate between what was a “high” or “low” level challenge activity? (Remember “Bloom in your classroom?”)
Which were the tricky ones to position? Why?
Apart from challenge, what else can make starters particularly effective?
What did Bloom discover?
Knowledge or recall of bits of “stuff”…..can be the foundation for higher levels of thinking
Comprehension where pupils start to understand the basic information so that they can explain it
Application using learnt information, ideas and skills in new topics/situations.
Analysis being able to explain how the various parts fit together, infer and analyse
Synthesis being able to put together separate ideas to form new wholes, or to establish new links
Evaluation being able to judge the worth of material against stated criteria. Sees pupils judging, assessing comparing and contrasting
Goldilocks and Bloom
Knowledge…Whose porridge was too sweet? Comprehension…Why did Goldilocks like
Little Bear’s bed best? Application…What would have happened if
Goldilocks had come to your house? Analysis…Which parts of the story could not
be true? Synthesis…Can you think of a different
ending? Evaluation…What do you think of the
story?Was Goldilocks good or bad? Why?
Activity…the High Challenge-Low Challenge game
Challenge is not the only factor in an effective start to the lesson…
(i) PacePace…with focus on thinking and learning rather than on the business of the activity.
(ii) InteractionInteraction…essentially the pupils are active.
(iii) InvolvementInvolvement…bebe wary of the “Put your hand up wary of the “Put your hand up and tell me what we did last week” syndrome setting in.and tell me what we did last week” syndrome setting in.
Activity…the High Challenge-Low Challenge game
Challenge is not the only factor in an effective start to the lesson…
(iv) Connecting with prior learning.. ”Do you remember when…?””Do you remember when…?”
(v) Arouse pupil curiosity and intrigue…are they thought provoking?
(vi) Can include brief, small-group activities. I’d like you to think about what you think were the three I’d like you to think about what you think were the three
most important things which you can remember most important things which you can remember about….which we did last week. Turn to your partner and about….which we did last week. Turn to your partner and explain what you have chosen and why?”explain what you have chosen and why?”
But what is the BIG picture you’re trying to create?
For example…(i) What’s the exciting, intriguing and challenging
enquiry that encapsulates the Geography starter?
(ii) What’s the bigger aims/focus and direction for the Modern Foreign Language lesson.
(iii) How does the science starter fit into a more fun, challenging and rigorous series of lessons.
But what is the BIG picture you’re trying to create?
Starter activities work best when they are placed within challenging and fun sequences of lessons (See art/geography examples)
Starter Starter Starter
Main enquiry covering a series of lessons over a period of weeks perhaps
Can you spot the dodgy questions? They must capture interestcapture interest Focus on real worthwhile aspects of Focus on real worthwhile aspects of
that subject’s thinking, concepts or that subject’s thinking, concepts or processesprocesses
Result in a tangible, lively, Result in a tangible, lively, substantial and enjoyable substantial and enjoyable “outcome activity”“outcome activity” through which pupils can genuinely answer the key question
Can you spot the dodgy questions?
1. Electricity
2. Weather patterns over Europe
3. Do different people in different countries respond the same to natural disasters?
4. Telling the time in French
5. How would you cope if you were lost in Paris after missing the school coach?
6. What structures do musicians use to organise sounds?
7. Tempo
8. School trip to the art gallery
9. How effective is the art gallery in portraying the different styles of painting from the 20th century?
10. When did the French Revolution happen?
11. Why do we still bother to study the French Revolution?
Starters can be quiet and reflective.
For example(i) See RE example (This is RE!)(ii) Geography Inference Chart(iii) History source evaluation
Looking at successful starters Use Handout 7.3 to list the ways
these teachers create
Engagement
Pace
Challenge
•After watching the video compare your list with at least two other people.
Handout 7.4 highlights some of the points you might have made
Theme Specific devices and strategies used
Engagement (i)(i) Problem built into taskProblem built into task
(ii)(ii) Unusual routinesUnusual routines
(iii)(iii) Objectives and values made explicitObjectives and values made explicit
(iv)(iv) Interesting activities (novelty, curiosity Interesting activities (novelty, curiosity and relevance)and relevance)
(v)(v) Sensitivity to concentration levelsSensitivity to concentration levels
(vi)(vi) Expectations made clearExpectations made clear
(vii)(vii) Use of “conscripts” rather than volunteersUse of “conscripts” rather than volunteers
Pace (i)(i) Pupils able to join in as they each arrivePupils able to join in as they each arrive
(ii)(ii) Very precise time targets (Look for the Very precise time targets (Look for the 3’s, 5’s and 7s-the magic numbers 3’s, 5’s and 7s-the magic numbers according to A. Smith)according to A. Smith)
(iii)(iii) Focus on pace and thinking and learningFocus on pace and thinking and learning
(iv)(iv) Time targets reaffirmedTime targets reaffirmed
(v)(v) CompetitionCompetition
(vi)(vi) modellingmodelling
Challenge (i)(i) Absence of usual “scaffolding”Absence of usual “scaffolding”
(ii)(ii) Open ended questioningOpen ended questioning
(iii)(iii) Speculative questioningSpeculative questioning
(iv)(iv) Using difficulty as a way of Using difficulty as a way of motivating-”This is going to be hard.”motivating-”This is going to be hard.”
(v)(v) Increasing levels of complexityIncreasing levels of complexity
So what does David Beckham have in common with Albert Einstein?
They are equally intelligent…but it is not being suggested that they were intelligent equally
What this really means…Logical/Mathematical Logical/Mathematical
(i) Puzzles
(ii) Charts
(iii)Graphs
(iv)Analysis
(v) Forecasts
(vi)Predictions
Imaginative use of this model
Logical/Mathematical in English
M-KD= (KM)
Macbeth minus King Duncan equals King Macbeth-but not for long, so put it in brackets
What this really means…InterpersonalInterpersonal
(i) Group work
(ii) Team work
(iii)Interviewing
(iv)Chat shows
(v) Drama
(vi)Teaching others
(vii)Group leading
(viii)Group co-ordinating
Imaginative use of this model
Interpersonal
(i) This can free yourself up to work with those who really need your support.
(ii) Buddy-up systems
What this really means Intrapersonal
(i) WIIFM’s?(ii) Empathy(iii) Emotional(iv) Metacognition(v) Target setting(vi) Hypothetical…What if?
Imaginative use of this model Intrapersonal
(i) Encourage reflection…”Well done…how did you do it?”
(ii) Which bits did you learn quickest and why?
(iii) How would you feel if….? (Geography and the rain cycle)
(iv) Science experiments
What this really means Visual/spatial
(i) Learning maps(ii) Posters(iii) Highlighter pens(iv) Symbols(v) Icons(vi) Instructive display work
Imaginative use of this model
Visual/spatial
(i) We have a better memory for pictures than we do for words (see “From the land of the gods”)
(ii) Using colour improves our memory(iii) Mind-mapping
What this really means Body/physical
(i) Role play(ii) Making models(iii) Movement(iv) Acting(v) Practical(vi) Walking through the learning
Imaginative use of this model Body/physical
(i) English Dept used “Go high” and “Go low” when developing a new area of learning.
(ii) Happy-sad continuums.(iii) Moving around the classroom (Trenches-
table example)(iv) Science lesson (solar system in the hall-
moving to Holst’s “The Planets”)(v) Maths…Jumping from column to column
Imaginative use of this model Musical
(i) Creates the right kind of atmosphere for learning
(ii) Examples (Bach’s Goldberg Variations/Pachelbel)
What this really means Verbal linguistic
(i) Debates(ii) Stories(iii) Discussions(iv) Poems(v) Word games(vi) Speeches(vii) Diary entries
Imaginative use of this model
Verbal/linguistic
(i) Class discussions (think carefully about your enquiry question)
(ii) Radio commercials(iii) Poems to help with remembering
key concepts
What this really means Naturalistic
(i) Going out of the classroom to learn
(ii) Classifying into family groups
What this really means Naturalistic
(i) Varying your classroom environment (Battle of Hastings out doors?)
(ii) Which animals would Disney use in a cartoon version of Macbeth?
(iii) Persecution of other groups through Darwin’s eyes?
(iv) Emily Davison throwing herself in front of the horse from the horse’s point of view
(v) Amazonian rainforest through the eyes of the creatures living there and dying there
Be aware
We tend to teach and start lessons according to the way WE prefer to learn.
Wear your creative thinking hata. How can we incorporate music into
Art lessons?
b. Can we use these models to evaluate our current schemes of work?
c. Would Mozart have been happy just doing Music one hour a week?
WARNING…Watch out WARNING…Watch out for the potential for the potential problems!problems!
What do you What do you think are the think are the
potential potential problems that problems that starters can starters can
bring?bring?
WARNING…Watch out WARNING…Watch out for the potential for the potential problems!problems!
1. Take too long or even take over the whole lesson!
2. They can lose pace and direction and lack clear learning outcomes
3. Too quick a pace can lose pupils who need extra thinking or speaking time
WARNING…Watch out WARNING…Watch out for the potential for the potential problems!problems!
4. Can bore the more able if you are not careful!
5. Become a fixed routine that bores
6. Can be derailed by the arrival of latecomers
So if those are the problems, what are the solutions?
They need careful planning and need careful planning and preparationpreparation so that everyone (teacher and pupils) see the purpose of the activity
Remain focussedRemain focussed on the purpose of the starting activity
Use a varietyvariety of activities to get the lessons started
So if those are the problems, what are the solutions?
Skilful teacher questioningSkilful teacher questioning, coupled with thinking time. (Bloom’s ideas are really useful here)
Effective use of classroom supportuse of classroom support Adding extra challengeAdding extra challenge for some by
increasing the complexity or sophistication of the activity
Making sure you can take something away to use back in your classroom.
Watch these teachers and record on Handout 7.5 how you could use some of these techniques with a class.
Looking at successful starters…Sequence Two
The keys to successful starters
To avoid over running planplan this as a discrete element of the lesson.
Ensure that your starter activities your starter activities contribute directly to the overall lesson contribute directly to the overall lesson objectivesobjectives
Choose starters that best fit your BIG BIG picture planningpicture planning
Make sure that your starter activities show progression over time!progression over time!
Second to last slide…the keys to successful starters
Use varied and unusual routines to create motivation. (Think of Alistair Smith and Multiple Intelligences)
Plan for a brief conclusionbrief conclusion at the end of the starter to consolidate the gains made
Ready for more? Why not trial three different types of starter
that you have not used before with the one class over the enquiry/lesson sequence?
Follow this up with a departmental discussion about how these might be incorporated into a Year 7 scheme of work for next year
Also during this meeting discuss what other colleagues have been trying out.