Day Three      Glasgow (Knightswood Community)               13th November 2007

1. Use of products for discussion of quality (using two products to compare or using one to model or generate success criteria)

Pre-five

Teachers used art work for comparison discussions. They found, in general, that there was a marked impact on lower achievers. This technique gave children more feedback with less pressure. Some children were inspired by what they saw, especially in areas of creativity.

Teachers found that humour works particularly well with this age group, so making the differences between the 2 approaches/pieces of work worked well.  For instance, one teacher was tackling self help skills and demonstrated putting on a coat upside down.  Children were able to articulate exactly what was wrong and what should have happened, creating success criteria.

It was agreed that what the adult says and the role of the adult is key at this age.

PRIMARY 1

Teachers said that they were constantly modelling at this age and, like Pre-5, were using extreme examples of good and bad practice.  Children have a very definite idea of what they are looking for as a result of this technique so can generate the success criteria from the modelling. Discussion is also more worthwhile.

P1 need a lot of training, but this should help later on as teachers lay foundations.

The main impact is that the quantity of work has been diminished, but the quality has improved.

PRIMARY 2/Support for Learning

These teachers initially focused on writing, but are now using the technique in lessons such as gymnastics.

Success criteria have a greater impact; children really understand what they mean and they are transferable.

Children have become more skilled at identifying the elements of a learning objective rather than referring to secretarial skills only.

Children no longer ask the teacher what to do as expectations are clear.

PRIMARY 5/6

Teachers agreed that children seeing each other’s work was empowering.  The technique was easy to apply to language and PE, handwriting and drama, although it was quite difficult for mathematics.  Comparing 2 pieces was excellent for drawing children back to the success criteria.  The point was reinforced about the importance of anonymity of work when comparing two pieces.

PRIMARY 7/Secondary

Teachers had mostly done this in writing.  One secondary teacher had used this technique very successfully and found that it increased pupil’s interest and achievement. She felt that the visual impact was a vital aspect.

Some children used good examples from the work shown in their own work.  Children are now keener to redraft their own work after discussion.

2. On-the-spot modelling of ‘Success & Improvement’ during the lesson (‘Integrated feedback’)

Pre-five

Teachers found that group discussion was the most successful format for this, getting children to explain what was right or wrong, effective or ineffective. Teachers used personal profiles as a vehicle for self assessment discussions.

PRIMARY 1

Teachers said that it was more difficult to project written work because there is very little at this stage so they had focused more on small group modelling.  In art it had been possible to stop mid lesson and refer to criteria, but teachers were mainly modelling and involving children in role play to begin the process of self and peer assessment.  Talking partners were very successful for this.

PRIMARY 2/Support for Learning

All teachers have a visualiser and said that this had had a big impact on their teaching strategies and children’s learning.  Lessons were now more interactive, collaborative and children had more ownership.  They had moved away from ‘lecturing’ to pupil involvement as a matter of course. One teacher said that children were asking to have their work projected.  They all seem to find it very interesting to work on one child’s work, so they are very engaged.

No child had refused to have their work projected and worked on, probably because all children were treated the same and anyone’s work could be used.  Any child could have their work analysed for success and improvement needs.

Peer assessment was more successful than self assessment at this stage, because some children had a tendency to overpraise their work or vice versa.

PRIMARY 5/6

The visualiser is invaluable for this technique.  The technique makes the children scrutinise and improve their work as it is happening. You can see all the children changing or adapting their work as a particular child’s work is analysed by the class.  Without a visualiser, one teacher found a scanner worked well or having a random child do their work on the laptop.

The impact of this technique has been that children’s work is of higher quality than after teacher marking.  Children feel more enabled as the work is credible. It also gives children an opportunity to revisit the success criteria.  Children have instant feedback.
Children realise that no matter how good a piece of work is there is always room for improvement.  Children ask each other for help and advice more frequently during lessons now and they don’t go off track.  They want to improve their work as they go along and they are building learning relationships. If any child has gone off in the wrong direction, it allows them the chance to refocus and get the work back on track before it’s too late.

Teachers are marking less because the children have amended their work.  It takes training, but we are heading towards peer assessment.

Putting another child’s work up during a lesson was seen as very powerful, because children are very interested to see what they could potentially achieve in their own work.

PRIMARY 7/Secondary

Secondary teachers don’t have visualisers, so their approach has been to take a random jotter home and type it up for analysis at the beginning of the next lesson.  The impact has been that redrafting is more meaningful and pupils are not afraid to change their work.  As the work is being analysed, the pupils are continually editing their work, as they see what they could improve in their own work.  By seeing that anyone’s work can be used to look for success and improvement, they have realised that there is always room for improvement.

Children are now so used to talking partners, sharing work and peer assessment, that it is difficult to get them to do work on their own!

Children tend not to ask the teacher so much for help but ask their talking partner instead.

3. Further Developments of techniques from Day 2

Pre-five

Teachers now start with learning intentions.  They have stopped using stickers and stamps and are focusing on the children’s achievement to motivate them and develop their self esteem.  Teachers are developing more effective questions.

PRIMARY 1

Teachers are now using more effective questions, which they are planning, so all children are involved.

Separating the learning objective from the context allows planning to be more focused and children’s confidence, as a result, has increased and they are transferring skills.

Children are now more responsible for their own learning.  They are more interested and are listening to others.

PRIMARY 2/Support for Learning

There are now more open success criteria and questions.  Teachers are trying to ask fewer recall questions and develop more effective questions.

They are now separating skills form their contexts and are more focused on learning.  Children are now taking risks.

PRIMARY 5/6

Children are getting better at peer assessment and it has more of an impact on their learning.

The children are generating success criteria for themselves, getting more sophisticated. 

Teachers are getting better at separating the learning objective from the context.

Effective questioning is becoming more automatic.

PRIMARY 7/Secondary

Children are able to develop success criteria and they use these automatically.  There is more collaborative work and pupils are taking more responsibility.  Talking partners are embedded and expected.  Children are used to a language of learning.

Children’s prior knowledge is now being tapped effectively by teachers.  There is less repetition and revisiting.  Pupils are asking sharper questions of the teacher and each other. Redrafting has become more meaningful.

4. Developing a learning culture

Pre-five

Adults are now more aware about talking to children about learning objectives and success criteria.  A planning wall is now used, involving children, parents and staff. Children now have a ‘can do’ attitude to learning.

PRIMARY 1

All children are actively involved, they have a voice, they can use their imagination and they are on task.  There is a learning culture and children are no longer scared of failure.  They are no longer working on their own, but are talking with others.  Children know what they are learning.

PRIMARY 2/Support for Learning

For teachers the focus has improved and lessons are less resource driven.  Children are more collaborative and motivated.  Ownership of learning has moved along a continuum from the teacher to the child.

PRIMARY 5/6

The whole class is now on a learning journey – everyone is taking part.  In one class children were able to suggest what a learning class should consist of.

Children are happier and more motivated and eager to learn.  They like having talking partners and they see learning as fun.

PRIMARY 7/Secondary

There is a more open culture and lessons are more inclusive.  Pupils are more active learners and there is less teacher talk (‘teachers have moved from the sage on the stage to the guide on the side’).  There is more tolerance between pupils, more openness and more sharing.  There is a productive buzz in the classroom.