Day Three       Moray                    27th November 2007

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

PRIMARY 1/2

Teachers agreed that the quality of work was better after modelling and comparing in an active learning situation and that children are then more comfortable with self/peer assessment.

One teacher had used a puppet who made mistakes compared to her own work. The success criteria are reinforced by the puppet’s work being improved.  Teachers preferred using teacher generated examples as the basis of comparisons.  Looking at detail in compared drawings, children said: ‘Our drawings are so much better’ ‘Well, I’ve got a body, arms….’

PRIMARY 3/4

Teachers had no visualisers or banks of work so written work by teacher or child was typed up and enlarged, so they are now building up a bank of photocopies.  Children have moved beyond hitting success criteria as they can now see what quality looks like.  The technique has worked well for comparing maths formatting and modelling good and bad thinking partners. 

Teachers agreed that it is showing children both pieces of work which gives the most impact. One piece simply shows what is required. Two pieces which can be compared enable children to analyse and decide what is missing and what constitutes quality.

PRIMARY 5/6/7

Teachers had compared work in this way for handwriting, good and bad talking partners, writing, posters, writing planning, research, maths (time) and art.

The impact had been that teachers see ‘the penny drop’ as children know what is expected.  The pressure is off and they have ideas on which to base their thinking.  Children are more actively involved and they are able to build up success criteria from the comparison which gives them ownership of them.

There is clearer questioning from both pupils and adults and not as many questions from children about what is expected.  Children are more confident to have a go and they focus more now on quality rather than quantity.

Lower achievers are more clearly supported as a result of the technique.

SECONDARY A

English
Using SQA on line answers to test questions improved pupils’ understanding of the exam requirements and knowing what a closed reading answer should look like

S2 had presentations of fire safety posters to do.  The teacher showed published leaflets compared to some of last year’s posters and the quality from all pupils was higher than from last year’s class where this technique had not been used.  Everyone produced something. Their motivation has increased.

History
S5 essay writing: if pupils are shown work by their peers or from previous classes, they are more likely to redraft their answers, although this can be time consuming. Pupils find it hard to see what constitutes quality, but this has enabled them to understand.

The essay marks are higher for this cohort than for previous years that this teacher had taught.

SECONDARY B

Maths
One teacher had found increased attainment from the following lessons:
With the top set of S3 he showed 2 pieces of work next to each other, 1 correct and one with some arithmetic mistakes.  After discussing these, pupils were shown an example with the correct steps but the wrong answer and another which was very brief but had the correct answer.  This discussion led to pupils seeing the importance of the working and layout and that there is more than one way to get an answer.  As a result of the discussion the success criteria were generated by the class.

It is also possible to show 3 pieces of work, ranging in quality, which can be analysed.

Geography
One teacher had a bank of answers and pupils were asked to decide what marks they would give them and what was missing from the answers. This led to higher marks from that class.

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

PRIMARY 1/2

Teachers found this technique most effective in writing but had also used it in arts and mathematics.  Children have a clearer idea of how to move their work forward.

Some younger children have a tendency to look at their work and compare it to their partner’s and say how their work is better.  Teachers believed this was a direct result of the school having introduced an external reward policy….

Children are good at spotting what is good but find it more difficult to provide suggestions for improvement.  Without a visualiser this technique can be time consuming.

A P1 class had made a puppet show for their P7 buddies.  They had discussed success criteria and put on a show for the rest of the class.  In discussion about what was successful and what could have been improved, the children came up with the same comments the teacher would have made.

Overall, teachers said it was more effective to use this technique in a group setting for this age group.

PRIMARY 3/4

Ownership of assessment has been transferred from the teacher to children as a result of this strategy.  Children don’t mind making changes to a ‘finished’ piece of work.

Getting children to colour code success criteria allows the teacher to identify any misunderstandings.

Motivation is greater and pupils look forward to having their work projected and analysed.

PRIMARY 5/6/7

One teacher had used a new technique of getting children to self or peer assess their work against the criteria half way through a lesson in mathematics: those who traffic lit a success criteria red could sit with a ‘green’ child and work with that child.

One teacher suggested that an electronic store of examples of work would be very useful.  The impact of the credibility and interest in work derived from children from the school was discussed.

SECONDARY A

Physics
Teachers are mainly working with closed skills.  The random choice of pupil was very successful as everyone knows they might have to make a contribution.  They are more aware of time and what can be achieved there and then.

Art
Without a visualiser, pupils were gathered around a good example to discuss, emphasising that there was no right or wrong way of communicating in art.

History
The technique had led to greater motivation. Jotters are now messy as pupils want to improve and edit their work, often as the projected example is being analysed, there and then.  Pupils now write with double spacing, to allow more space for improvements.

English
The teacher had used an OHP with the child writing on acetate, which means they have to be picked at the beginning of the lesson, just as asking one child to do their work on the lap top.

Teachers agreed that the random choosing was very positive.  Even shyer children were keen to have their work projected.

SECONDARY B

One teacher described the difficulties of having no visualiser. Using an OHP was not as effective although the technique was still positive.

Maths
A maths teacher used his visualiser for every lesson and found it invaluable for pinpointing a misconception or something interesting for all, on the spot, to see.  He had organised polypockets of lolly sticks of names for each class so that random selection for projection was the norm.  He asks questions such as
‘Does your work look like this?’
‘Is it better’
‘What can you do to make it better?’
‘Have you done the same thing but differently?’
This teacher agreed that the technique speeds up the pace of a lesson, that most solutions are becoming uniform as the best methods are becoming clearer, that pupils now correct and improve their own work and teacher marking is reduced.

His marking is now more likely to consist of a circle and ‘why?’  Pupils are better behaved and more focused.

The technique has allowed the teacher to see the pupils’ train of thought. Pupils are now more likely to focus on getting attention for their work rather than bad behaviour!

One teacher said that inspectors had complained about the lack of marking by the teacher.  The need for the teacher to check the quality of children’s improvements was discussed. Also it was agreed that schools need clear policies for marking symbols and marking practice.

3. Further Developments of techniques from Day 2

PRIMARY 1/2

Success criteria are being generated by children and compiled in banks so they can be used again.

Teachers are finding it easier to use learning objectives in all areas of the curriculum.

Lower achievers have reassurance and are motivated to have a go.

PRIMARY 3/4

Teachers are developing banks of learning objectives and success criteria in writing and maths, which are stored on a shared work drive.

There are now banks of examples of writing.

Teachers are reframing recall questions and asking better questions, planning them more carefully.

PRIMARY 5/6/7

Teachers are now asking more effective questions and are more aware of asking good questions.  Children in turn are asking better questions.

Success criteria are improved and more specific.

Children are better at assessing their own work and are more aware of their strengths and weaknesses.

SECONDARY A

There is a change of focus and understanding that children learn in different ways.

Teachers spend more time thinking about the learning objective and links between the curriculum.

There is more time spent planning and less time marking.

Teachers are no longer taking the first answer but allowing discussion about answers.

SECONDARY B

Teachers are now using questioning more effectively and involving pupils in discussion about prior knowledge and what they want to learn.  There is less planning of lessons.

4. Developing a learning culture

PRIMARY 1/2

There is now more purposeful dialogue as all pupils are engaged in the learning process.  Individual needs are better met as they are all given support and challenge.  The climate is more relaxed and enjoyable and all children are engaged, keen and happy.

PRIMARY 3/4

The culture is now effective, better paced, work improved, successful, motivated, fun, purposeful, focused, co-operative, interactive and child - led.

PRIMARY 5/6/7

The culture is more positive, active and cooperative.  Children are more open - minded and reflective and they can improve their own learning.  There is deeper thinking, greater pupil responsibility and more confidence in their abilities.  There is a climate of mutual support.

SECONDARY A

There is now a focus on skills rather than content.  Pupils are more aware of making a contribution.  Expectations have been raised for pupils and teachers.  It is now difficult to leave work for classes!  There is far more interaction between pupils.

SECONDARY B

There is now a culture which has deeper thinking, is more relaxed and is pupil - led and teacher managed. Pupils are more confident, less worried about being wrong and more focused.