Critical Skills : An Overview.

Why Critical Skills at Challenge ?• Low levels of attainment on entry• Students were not good learners• Students found it difficult to work

collaboratively• Large number of boys compared to girls.• Consistent whole school approach to

learning and teaching• Support for whole school approaches to

support literacy ICT and development of independant learners

What are the benefits of critical skills?

For Ex am p l ep r ob lem so lv in g

C r eativ e T h in k in gSelf D ir ec tion

L ife sk i l l sT ar getted

an dA ssessed

T eac h er an d p u p i lsu p p or t on e an oth er

to ac h iev e c lea rlear n in g goal s

C o l lab or ativ eLear n in g

En v ir on m en t

C h allen ges p ose p r ob lemfor stu d en t to so lv e

an d giv es "b ig p ic tu r e"an d r eason for l ear n in g .

Pr ob lemB ased

Lear n in g

D ev elop edIn d ep en d en c e

forPu p ils

The 4 broad principlesExperiential learningCollaborative learningStandards driven learningProblem based learning

The 9 key characteristicsStudents frequently work in teamsActively solve meaningful problemsPublicly exhibit their learningReflect on what they are learning and doingApply quality criteria to their workTake responsibility for and ownership of their learning and the classroom community

The 9 key characteristicsTeachers mediate , coach and support the learning processTargeted learning results guided culture, curriculum and assessmentPlan work which is interconnected

Skills and Dispositions• Problem solving Life long learners• Decision making Self direction• Critical thinking Quality workers• Creative thinking Integrity• Communication Collaborators• Organisation Community membership• Management Curiosity• Leadership Ethical character

Setting Up A Challenge

Children “check in” to set the atmosphere in the classroom.Challenge issued and time given to read and understand.Challenge is “chunked” to make clear that pupils understand what is asked of them.Aspects of quality may be negotiated.

Teacher Pupil Activities Activities

Design an appropriate activity and assessment tool to test knowledge and skills.As the challenge begins ensure understanding of purpose and content.Guide group to negotiate aspects of quality.Provide resources.

Read, breakdown, question, suggest, discuss what the challenge means.

Offer ideas about quality requirements for certain aspects of the final product

Encourage and help pupils set roles.Circulate, help where necessary.Make written observations of the processes underway.Collect evidence of the process pupils go through and the skills they exhibit along the way.

Ascribe roles to various members of team – facilitator, scribe, time keeper, resource manager.Share tasks out according to skills.Agree check-in time.

Teacher Pupil Activities Activities

What is the teachers/ LSA role while pupils are working?

Encourage verbally and in writing – leave post it notes pointing out positive behaviours. Record pupil activities for debrief.

Assess – observe and record evidence for areas of assessment i.e. problem solving or collaboration.

Modify behaviours – redirect off task pupils to the team goal and their part in it. Point out positive behaviours of others

Critical Skills from the learning perspective!

Motivates pupilsLearning is set in real life scenarios.Enables assessment of skills other than subject based ones.Develops pupil confidence.Values pupils creative work quantitatively.

Unlocking Potential through Teamwork

What is the time commitment to qualify in Critical Skills?

Level 1Divided into:

Institute A Institute B

3 Days 3DaysThese need to be 6

months apart.

Level 2

One institute3 Days

1 year after completion of level1.

What do Level 1 and 2 comprise?

Level 1 Community buildingWriting a challenge

Identifying preferred learning styles

Embedding roles.

Level 2

assessment rubrics and linking challenges:

Delegates are set “challenges” during all 3 institutes to get first hand experience of the processes being taught.

2002 -2003

Challenge College, Parkside and Laisterdyke will be licenced providers of CS in BradfordInstitute Leader development programme @ Challenge 45 Staff at Level 122 Teachers at Level 2

Other key factors in our planning

Departmental Objectives benchmark base line performanceCentralised CS ResourcesCS based Working GroupRigorous monitoring of short, medium and long term planningDeputy Head of School with strategic T&L leadership roleProfessional Development LibraryCollaborative working with Laisterdyke and ParksideUse of CS model in whole staff consultation and planning

Feedback from Delegates:Critical Skills provides the language and structure to deliver the content and make it more interesting for pupils. R.Smith

Critical Skills has given me a deeper insight into the processes involved in student learning. T. Hashmi

Learning about critical skills is a double edged sword . when I was first trained. I wanted to tear up all my schemes and start again.

I now plan Challenges for every year group for every half term.

The best part of the programme for me is when they tell me what they have learned. To hear them talk to watch them debate, to read their presentations and to listen to them assessing others students work.

Heather Scott

It provided a structure to good practice from the pastTony Carlyle Its hard work running challenges but it is

really rewarding when students cooperate and work on the task together.

Paul Tasker

Critical Skills

Challenge College

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