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Saturday, 11 May 2019
Saturday, 2 January 2016
Growth mindset goal
setting and reflection
The New Year is an ideal time to reflect on goals that were set
in September and the progress that has been made against implementation plans,
both for staff and pupils. It’s a good
time to refresh a commitment to a growth mindset and consider what needs to be
achieved in the coming terms. Keeping a
positive, aspirational outlook is challenging.
Having recharged the batteries over the Christmas break, it is a great
time to engage in some motivational self-talk.
Banish those negative thoughts and look to the future.
On occasion we are too focused on the mindsets of the
pupils, rather than on the mindsets of all adults in the school. We forget how much our mindset influences our
everyday actions, our classroom ethos, the way we design learning opportunities,
the way we structure our curriculum, how we reward and praise, etc. Our values permeate through the school, both
those we intended to promote and those we didn’t. Some growth mindset programmes in schools
have limited impact because staff don’t really address their own mindsets and
fail to change the way they teach. Their
words to pupils say one thing, but their actions tell a different story. It is sometimes hard for us to see the real
truths in our own classrooms and spot when a fixed mindset has invaded our
classroom. This is especially true in
the current climate of immense change.
Why not take some time in January to reflect on the
following statements.
Consider with pupils:
·
Why do we need goals?
·
What is good practice in setting goals?
·
Why is a goal without a plan simply a dream?
·
How do you make a great plan to achieve a goal?
·
Why is monitoring against a plan essential?
·
Why do you think you sometimes have to adjust
your plan as you progress towards the goal?
·
What are your goals? Short term?
Medium term? Long term?
·
Reaffirming your commitment to a goal.
Why not try some of these activities that have been gathered
from classrooms around the globe via Pinterest.
Download PDF file of goal setting activities
Goals setting sheet available on:
January is also a good time to reflect on the
characteristics of good learners. How
have pupils developed as learners over the autumn term? What do they need to work on to become more
effective and successful learners? Maybe
it is their team work, listening skills, resilience, homework commitment, or accepting
help from others? Why not create a recipe
for a successful learner or consider how to build a recipe for a specific
skills, such as listening.
Alison and Lynsey, two teachers working in the Midlothian,
have created an excellent blog sharing some of their work on growth mindset
which includes creating recipes. https://makinglearningsuper.wordpress.com/
Tuesday, 15 December 2015
Peer and self-assessment
Peer and self-assessment is integral to learning and
maximising progress. Particularly with
the increased demands of the national curriculum, peer and self-assessment can
be vehicles for helping pupils to reach more demanding standards. It starts with pupils having a really good idea
as to what they are aiming for.
Exploring examples of good work, playing ‘detective’ to identify good
features and creating/using success criteria are all essential elements that
need to be in place before pupils can use peer and self-assessment
effectively. Teachers need to develop a
culture that focuses on ‘crafting’ high quality work, which often includes
creating more than one draft or extensive review and editing processes. In these classrooms you often find the
journey of creating work displayed on walls, rather than just finished
pieces. These teachers celebrate the
improvements and the approaches pupils have used to develop work.
For peer and self-assessment to have real impact, pupils
need to be taught explicitly how to critique their own and others’ work. They need to see the process modelled and be
provided with sentence starters and structures that will allow them to give meaningful
advice to others. They need time to be
analytical and time to make the improvements.
Pupils should be encouraged to consider what makes a good ‘critical
friend’ and what type of advice helps someone to make changes to a piece of
work.
Schools can increase their success with peer and
self-assessment by considering how it develops from Early Years right through
to Year 6. It also helps to consider why
structures and tools are being used in different year groups to help pupils get
to the level of depth and detail which leads pupils to make progress through
peer and self-assessment.
Please find below a selection of tools that may be of use. The picture links should open PDF files.
Audit tool
Progression map
6 traits editing station cards
Editing cards
Advice cards
Sunday, 30 August 2015
Metacognition : Jumping off the high dive board into a sea of ‘thinking about thinking’
Metacognition : how do we grow our knowledge and expertise?
For the last eighteen months I have been growing and
developing my knowledge and understanding of metacognition, and how it can utilised
across both primary and secondary classrooms.
My passion for metacognition is based on a conviction that it can
deliver superb improvements in outcomes for pupils and enable them to become ‘leaders
of their own learning’. Of particular interest
to me is how metacognition links to developing growth mindsets, aspirations and
learner beliefs. Recent research has
shown that raising aspiration is often not enough to enable disadvantaged
pupils to close the attainment gap. In
fact, it can lead to great frustration as their desire to improve increases,
but is not matched by a rise in their ‘learning skills’ to enable them to
achieve their goals. Metacognition is the
missing key for many pupils. Improving metacognition raises attainment for all
pupils, but has a disproportionate impact on disadvantaged pupils, therefore
being a proven method of closing the attainment gap. Developing metacognitive
practices is needed if pupils are going to achieve the higher demands of the
national curriculum, perform well in more challenging assessments and respond
to the emphasis Ofsted places on children having ‘ownership’ of their learning.
Metacognition is a critically important, yet often
overlooked, component of learning. In recent years there has been increasing
interest in how metacognition can increase pupil performance, but harnessing metacognition
in the classroom, and across the school as a whole school ethos, is not an easy
task and as educators we still have a long way to go in utilising this powerful
research and set of theories. It raises
three important questions : how do we develop solutions that are effective in
large scale secondary schools, what does metacognition look like at different
phases from birth onwards, and how do we share the emerging practice in
schools?
Successful learners are highly metacognitive. They have an
‘internal dialogue’ that operates as they learn. They ask themselves questions
such as ‘what am I trying to achieve?’, ‘where should I start?’, ‘do I
understand this?’, ‘do I need to re-read that last paragraph?’, ‘am I on the
right track?’, ‘do I need to change strategy?’, ‘if starting again, would I
approach the task differently?’ They think about their own thinking. They take
control of the learning process. They are reflective, self-monitoring and
self-correcting. Luckily, we can teach pupils how to be more metacognitive. We
can support them to make progress in how they learn and in turn help them to
become more independent learners.
One way we can start to tackle metacognition is to break it
down into more manageable chunks.
Schools, teachers, departments, etc., can focus on an element of
metacognition, either with all pupils or perhaps particular year groups. The majority of research leans towards
metacognition being entwined within subjects as being the most effective way to
develop pupil skills, but separate programmes can complement a whole school approach. The best way to train pupils is to provide them
with challenging situations, tasks and learning activities that would naturally
require pupils to engage in deeper thinking.
Metacognition is especially needed when faced with a task that requires
planning beforehand and evaluation afterwards; where actions are both weighty
and risky. This is why metacognition has
a higher impact when explicitly taught through naturally occurring learning
activities within subjects, as pupils can see how and why metacognition helps
them and there is a genuine reason to deploy metacognition.
The long term goal is to ensure all teachers in the school
fully understand the principles and theories of metacognition and weave this
into their daily teaching, lesson design and curriculum, but this is perhaps
too much to chew all at once.
|
Metacognition: internal dialogue and
self-questioning.
|
Metacognition and its role in
supporting independent learning, e.g. increasing the impact of homework.
|
Metacognition and listening : improving
skills
|
|
Metacognition and its role in plan,
monitor, check.
|
Metacognition, beliefs, mindset and
goals.
|
Metacognition and mathematics : e.g. problem
solving
|
|
Metacognition and how it relates to
accurate self-awareness, self-assessment and judgements of learning.
|
Metacognition and its link to using
strategies for learning.
|
Metacognition and task variables:
increasing independence, learning about learning, equipping pupils to take on
greater challenges
|
|
Metacognition and reading : learning
from complex texts
|
Metacognition and exam performance :
e.g. exam wrappers, revision plans, revision knowledge and strategies.
|
Metacognition and person variables.
|
Focusing on individual aspects of metacognition provides a
more manageable starting point for schools, whilst still acknowledging
metacognition as a whole and its interlinking nature. From the broad and fascinating field of
metacognition research we need to hone in on specific aspects that are more likely
to provide improvements to short term and long term outcomes for pupils.
Each of these segments has a body of research behind
it. One that can be linked to other important
developments in areas such as cognition research, a growing understanding of
why some pupils fail to make academic progress, neurology and wider aspects of psychology,
such as Carol Dweck’s amazing work on growth mindsets. Fitting the pieces together from a range of
areas provides a comprehensive set of actions to support learners and increase
the effectiveness of teaching. We
literally break up metacognition in order to dive down and get depth into each
of these aspects. I think the question
is ‘what type of whisky would you like to drink?’ Too often schools are addicted to the quick
fix rather than a quality, long term and sustainable approach.
There are a number of practical actions teachers can take to
develop and emphasise metacognition. For
example, using ‘think alouds’ and modelling, providing scaffolding prompts and
questions, giving pupils the opportunity to discuss their learning, and having
structured, high quality reflection opportunities. It’s important to turn research into very
real tasks, resources and ideas that can be used in the classroom, providing a
jumping off point from which teachers can develop their own solutions as their
expertise grows.
This ‘jumping off point’ is exactly what I have been working
on with a number of Leeds schools. The last twelve months have been very
exciting, as part of my work as a freelance consultant has been working on a
large scale initiative designed to expand expertise in the field of
metacognition in Leeds secondary schools. The local authority offers the ‘Leeds
Learning Partnership’ that enables subject and senior leaders to access a range
of training and development opportunities.
The partnership is delivered by a team of local authority officers and
school based practitioners. A key theme
this year, and for the next two years, is metacognition. The Leeds Learning
Partnership is a brilliant model for growing expertise in this important area
of educational development and enables there to be ‘many minds’ working on the
same problem, trying out ideas, carrying out action research and sharing
findings. I am sure that not many cities
in the UK are engaged in such large scale projects which considers how
metacognition can be used to improve the performance of pupils and close the
gap for disadvantaged learners.
The Leeds Learning Partnership engages over 28 school based practitioners,
representing over 14 subjects, as ‘Learning and Teaching Specialists’. As a freelance consultant, my work has
involved creating and delivering training to this team, alongside key local
authority advisers and consultants. The
Learning and Teaching Specialists have then used the metacognition training sessions
to consider how it can be applied from a subject specific perspective. This is a key ingredient in developing the
city wide approach, rather than one message there is a growing body of teachers
and leaders working together to develop and share subject specific
metacognition knowledge and understanding.
This is a brilliant multiplier effect, like particles being heated,
generating ideas as they move and collide.
The Learning and Teaching Specialists have used their expertise to
develop subject training sessions that have then been delivered across the
city, cascading knowledge and ideas, and encouraging school subject leaders to
experiment. This has led to some
exciting trials in classrooms and fascinating ‘sharing practice’ sessions. This year we aim to capture some of this
amazing subject specific work to further expand school success with
metacognition and start to get a depth of understanding that will lead to
significant improvements.
As metacognition is such a broach and complex area, it is
essential that groups of teachers pool their findings and add to the growing
base of published materials, resources and educational research. I look forward to continuing this journey of
development working with primary and secondary colleagues.
For those who like a more visual representation of how we
might break metacognition into chunks, please see the ‘Tree of Metacognitive Thinking’
I have created. In addition, I have
created a jigsaw of basic ideas and subtle twists teachers can use as a starting
point for exploring how they might develop pupils metacognitive skills. I hope they provide a ‘jumping off’ point for
your own exploration of metacognition. I
would love to hear from others about their work on metacognition.
For more information please visit www.ictwand.com
Saturday, 30 August 2014
Assessment without levels
A major issue schools are currently grappling with is how
to assess, monitor and track pupil performance and progress now that levels
have been removed.
A central question schools will need to address is ‘to what
extent are pupils meeting the expectations of the National Curriculum in
different year groups and by the end of the Key Stage?’
Currently Year 2 and Year 6 are being assessed and working
with the ‘old’ national curriculum and as such, teachers can still use levels
to assess pupils and monitor progress for these year groups. The year 2014/15 is considered to be a transition
year where schools may be using more than one system or may in some cases be
using levels and looking to move to a new system of assessment.
DfE Assessment
without levels
“Teachers will continue to
track progress and provide regular information to parents. How they do so will be for them to
decide. We will not prescribe a single
system for ongoing assessment and reporting.” DfE
“Schools will be free to
design their approaches to assessment, to support pupil attainment and
progression.”
In the Ofsted framework inspectors are expected to consider
the question ‘how is assessment being used?’
•
Ofsted want to be assured that judgements about pupil attainment are accurate. That assessment
draws on a range of evidence of what pupils know, understand and can do in the
different aspects of subjects in the curriculum, for example through
regular testing. They want to see that marking,
assessment and testing are carried out in line with the school’s policy
and that schools are using assessment data to help
teachers improve teaching and the curriculum (both on a day-to-day
basis and reflective use of data to drive forward school improvement).
Inspectors will not expect to see a particular assessment
system in place and will recognise that schools are still working towards full
implementation of their preferred approach.
However, they will:
•
Spend more time looking at the range of
pupils’ work in order to consider what progress they are making in different
areas of the curriculum.
•
Evaluate how well pupils are doing against
relevant age-related expectations as set out by the school and the national
curriculum (where this applies).
In arriving at
judgements about progress, inspectors will usually consider how well:
•
pupils’ work shows that, where possible, they
have the knowledge, understanding and skills expected for their age as set out by the curriculum and assessment
system
•
all pupils are set aspirational progress
targets and that they are on track to meet or exceed these, and where possible,
expected standards by the end of each key stage
•
assessment, including test results, targets,
performance descriptors or expected standards are used to ensure that all
pupils make the progress their teachers expect and that more able pupils do
work that deepens their knowledge and understanding
•
progress in literacy and mathematics are
assessed by drawing on evidence from other subjects in the curriculum, where
this is sensible
•
pupils’
strengths and misconceptions are identified and acted on by teachers
during lessons and more widely to:
– plan
future lessons and teaching
– remedy
where pupils do not demonstrate knowledge or understanding of a key element of
the curriculum
– deepen
the knowledge and understanding of the most able.
Reporting to Parents
“In evaluating the effectiveness of reporting on pupils’
progress and achievements, inspectors will assess the way the school reports on
the progress and attainment of pupils to parents and carers. Inspectors will
consider whether reports help parents to understand how
well their children are doing in relation to any standards expected and how
they can improve.”
DfE guidance on
effective assessment systems
For any new system you are considering - compare it to
the statements below and ask does it deliver on these aspects
Give reliable information to parents about how their
child, and their child’s school, is performing
a. Allow meaningful tracking of pupils towards end of key
stage expectations in the new curriculum, including regular feedback to
parents.
b. Provide information which is transferable and easily
understood and covers both qualitative and quantitative assessment.
c. Differentiate attainment between pupils of different
abilities, giving early recognition of pupils who are falling behind and those
who are excelling.
d. Are reliable and free from bias.
Help drive improvement for pupils and teachers
a. Are closely linked to improving the quality of teaching.
b. Ensure feedback to pupils contributes to improved
learning and is focused on specific and tangible objectives.
c. Produce recordable measures which can demonstrate
comparison against expected standards and reflect progress over time.
Make sure the school is keeping up with external best
practice and innovation
a. Are created in consultation with those delivering best
practice locally.
b. Are created in consideration of, and are benchmarked against, international best practice.
Innovation
Fund Winners
Eight schools were awarded £10,000 by the DfE to develop
assessment systems. Each school has to
share free resources as a condition of being awarded the funds. The TES website has a blog and resources
produced by the schools.
Resources can be found on TES website: http://community.tes.co.uk/national_curriculum_2014/b/assessment_without_levels/default.aspx
Hillyfield Primary
Westminster Academy Secondary
Trinity Academy Primary & Secondary
Swiss Cottage Special School
Hiltingbury Primary
Sirus Academy
South Farnham Teaching School
Frank Wise School - special
What systems have they produced?
Below are some screen shots which may help you to get an idea of what the innovation fund winning schools have produced.
Hillyfield Primary
Hillyfield primary have produced a passport system where pupils collect stamps for mastering particular skills.
Durrington High School
Swiss Cottage Special School
Trinity Academy : Three step assessment system
West Exe Technology College : Learning Ladders based on Blooms taxonomy
Hiltingbury Ladders
There is also an electronic version see https://www.learningladders.info/
Sirus Academy Design and Technology
What is happening with commercial systems?
Schools and commercial companies have to decide:
- What
statements will be used to evaluate performance against?
- What words or numbers they will use to describe differing attainment between pupils? (This allows they to calculate progress and create statistics.
Quite a few commercial assessment systems are using four
judgements such as:
•
‘beginning, developing, meeting, and
exceeding’
•
or three judgements such as ‘entering, working
within, and exceeding’
•
or ‘not yet taught, taught but not mastered,
mastered’.
•
There is no nationally agreed system.
Ten schools were given funding earlier in the year to create
assessment systems and strategies which could be shared. One of the secondary ‘assessment innovation fund’
award winning school is dividing all assessments into four : Excellence,
secure, developing and foundation (see illustration).
Some commercial systems are referring to ‘stages’ that
correspond to the statements in the National Curriculum for different year
groups. E.g. a pupil in Year 4 can be
said to be ‘meeting’ expectations in ‘stage 4’ or a pupil could be currently
‘beginning’ in ‘stage 3’ (even though they are in Year 4. This would mean that they are currently
operating more than 1 year below their age related expectations). Having ‘stages’ and putting pupils into sub
divisions allows the commercial systems to then calculate progress in a way
that will draw graphs, highlight pupils and give numerical values.
Some commercial systems are trying to create ‘frameworks of
progression’, as are some subject associations.
The question here is one of quality assurance as to how these statements
are being arrived at. There are going to be different statements being used by
different schools to judge the performance of pupils in different year groups. What ‘expected progress’ might look like in
one school could be different in another school.
It’s not an easy process to decide how to move forward and
the best advice is to take time to consider all the options. Documentation on new systems is still a
little sparse on many of the commercial sites as they prepare for new systems. Contacting the companies for demonstration
dates would be useful.
Links for some of the commercial providers
Links to resources from the Innovation Fund
Links
for TES resources provided by innovation fund winners
Swiss
Cottage progression planners 0 to 100 continuum
Durrington High
School Solo taxonomy system
Trinity
Academy 3 step test system
Hillyfield
Primary skills passport
West
Exe learning ladders based on Blooms taxonomy
Sirus
Academy design and technology
South
Farnham Teaching School – standardised testing
Frank
Wise Special School
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