Learning Lessons

Volume 3 Issue 2 December 2011

Author: A Steele Editor: J Breen

Taking my lead from the previous Learning Lessons publication by Tom Sherrington on the ‘Spirit of AfL’, the aim of this issue is to discuss the ways in which I have, in my own lessons, sought to put theory into practice and to rise to the challenges posed by the KEGS Teaching & Learning Statement. As I see it, the KEGS Jigsaw illustrates not only the fundamental role played by formative assessment in the classroom but also its symbiotic relationship with Guy Claxton’s theories on Building Learning Power. Indeed one of the key characteristics of a classroom in which the spirit of AfL has been captured and embedded is that of pupil autonomy. This essentially constitutes the entire premise of BLP: ‘it is about creating a culture in classrooms – and in the school more widely – that systematically cultivates habits and attitudes that enable young people to face difficulty and uncertainty calmly, confidently and creatively’ (Claxton 2010) . Before we look at some of my own examples in depth, it is necessary to put them in the context of the AfL and BLP frameworks. The previous issue of Learning Lessons “The Spirit of AfL” covered the major principles and strategies of formative assessment and there is no need to repeat them here so I will briefly summarise BLP. As Figure 1 demonstrates, Claxton divides the brain into four sections and, as such, four ‘Learning Power

Fig.1—Learning Power Dispositions & Learning Power Capaci-ties according to Guy Claxton.

The Research Publication of King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford www.kegs.org.uk

Dispositions’: Resilience, Resourcefulness, Reflectiveness and Reciprocity. These are, in turn, made up of a number of ‘Learning-Power Capacities’ that characterise individual learning processes and/or activities, for example, in the classroom itself. Clearly, there are many aspects of the ‘ L e a r n i n g P o w e r Brain’ (Questioning, Reasoning, Capitalising, Planning, Revising, Distilling, Collaboration) that are inextricably linked with and

central to effective AfL practices. The following examples, dealing both with broader scale Curriculum Development in the Languages Department and with individual lesson strategies, will therefore aim to highlight this relationship between AfL and BLP and bring to life some aspects of the KEGS Teaching & Learning Statement.

Piecing Together the Jigsaw Putting AfL, DfL & ZfL into practice in the classroom

“The KEGS Jigsaw illustrates not only the fundamental role played by

formative assessment in the classroom but also its symbiotic relationship with

Guy Claxton’s theories on Building Learning Power.”

Zest for Learning. The Teaching & Learning Statement has informed much of the way in which I have developed a simplified, literature-based French curriculum at KS3 through Voltaire’s Candide, the principal aim being to meet the demands for an absorbing and rigorous accelerated language-learning experience for Beginner French students. Through the content alone—doom, death and disaster abound—it is easy to tap into and

nurture the pupils’ zest for learning. Visceral verbs & collaborative sentence-building. The text is principally utilised as a means of teaching verb rules within a stimulating context. The example verbs for teaching and reinforcing understanding of regular verbs in French (Figure 2) allow scope for the pupils to work in groups to prepare dramatic presentations of verb conjugations and evaluate the work of other groups. The collaborative and risk-free learning process here develops the pupils’ reciprocity and reflectiveness through planning as well as their resilience in managing the distractions of collaboration throughout their subconscious engagement with the drier topic of meta-language.

Figure 3 shows the developmental stage of the pupils’ introduction to French verbs, namely putting them to use in constructing language for themselves. Working with mini-boards in pre-set groups of 4, differentiated by ability, the pupils are asked to come up with and write down a sentence (including a regular verb) to interpret the image, based on their prior learning. Each member of the group must write the same agreed sentence, thus forcing them into checking vigilantly for all errors, and points are awarded for 100% grammatical accuracy and creativity of interpretation. All four learning dispositions are developed here as the pupils are pushed to collaborate, listen, imitate good practice, plan, revise, construct reasoned arguments, make links to prior experiences, notice errors and persevere in the face of difficulties and challenges from their peers. Phonetics to Performance. Through soundfiles available via KEGSNet moodle, the pupils are able to listen to and read the text independently to develop their

pronunciation skills. In addition, Figures 4 & 5 illustrate the ways in which this is embedded in the classroom. With a specific focus on vowel sounds, the pupils are asked to categorise words on a double-page spread according to their different vowel sounds (Fig. 4). To develop the pupils’ recognition of the subtle differences in pronunciation and practise it themselves, they then chant the sentence in Fig. 5 before preparing, in groups, a dramatic, audio-book reading (with microphones) of the chapter. At the end of the process, they listen to the readings and offer feedback (in the target language) on the pronunciation of the vowel sounds practised and their intonation. It is this opportunity to reflect and enjoy, notice nuances and subtleties of expression, listen critically to and question each other and to offer feedback on how to improve that is central to the activity.

Fig.2—Candide’s visceral verbs

Fig.3—Verb mini-board sentence-building

Fig.4—Phonetics and pronunciation word list

Fig.5—Phonetics, pronunciation and choric repetition

Grammar Detectives and Code-Breakers. In the last two years, I have revamped the way in which I teach new content, in particular grammar. Originally, I bought into the philosophy that it is our job as teachers to introduce new material from the front with undivided attention from the pupils. Now I almost exclusively hand over responsibility to the pupils to work it all out for themselves. Figure 6 is a sheet with four pairs of sentences demonstrating the use of the present participle in French. In pre-set mixed ability groups or with the pupils grouped by ability (those who find it more challenging being provided with extra clues/support), they are asked to collaboratively translate and decode the sentences in order to formulate a watertight group explanation, which every member of the group, if randomly chosen to act as spokesperson in the follow up Q & A, should be able to articulate. I find that this type of activity works tremendously well in developing the pupils’ resilience and perseverance in the face of challenge. They are forced out of their comfort zones, uncertain of the right answer and, employing all social aspects of learning, are required to use

their skills in self- and peer-questioning , make links to prior learning and become engrossed in the distillation of linguistic minutiae. Many of the same principles of learning are equally applied in the activity demonstrated by Figure 7. The text, summarising content with which they are already familiar, is broken down into multiple components and cut out. The students work in mixed-ability groups and in competition with each other to reconstruct the text in the correct order using the grammatical clues and prior knowledge of the content. Whilst there exists the tendency for the more able pupils in each group to dominate proceedings, the task is scaffolded in such a way that, if asked during or after the activity, every member of the group should be able to explain the reasoning behind their decision to link two component parts together. The higher-ability students are thus required to take on the role of teachers and think carefully about the clarity of their explanations to their peers.

The Language of Assessment. The requirements of the Teaching & Learning Statement to facilitate opportunities for reflection and pupil understanding of how to learn and improve have inspired me to introduce the students as early as possible to the language of assessment.

Fig.7—Metalinguistic code-breaking and text-reconstruction

‘It is about creating a culture in class-rooms – and in the school more widely – that systematically cultivates habits and attitudes that enable young people to face difficulty and uncertainty calmly, confidently and creatively.’

(Claxton 2010)

Fig.6—What is the Grammar Rule?

Fig.8—Target Language Feedback at Beginner Level

Figures 8 and 9 (overleaf) show how this is implemented in the classroom. In both examples, they are directed to watch and listen critically to spoken presentations—be they the dramatic verb performances mentioned earlier, short conversations or presentations or longer, more complex spoken pieces—and invited to offer simple feedback on the work of their peers. In Figure 9, as the students’ knowledge increases, this process becomes more sophisticated and they can now offer feedback on grammatical and pronunciation errors to the same level that I do as their teacher. Aside from the obvious benefits in developing their learning attributes—purposeful listening skills, questioning each other on issues rooted in linguistic rigour, distilling information and using it for their own purpose—the pupils simply enjoy the opportunity to give their own opinions in an open, judgment-free atmosphere.

Using Summative Assessment Formatively. Dylan Wiliam places considerable emphasis on giving the pupils immediate opportunities to improve on the feedback provided to them and I have investigated ways to reconcile the principles of AfL with summative assessment. Figure 10 illustrates the 4-part process using a Y7 German written test. Firstly, they write the assessment. I then code-mark for linguistic errors without making specific corrections for them. At the feedback stage, I return the scripts to the pupils and they are required to complete the Target-Setting and Self-Assessment sheet, correcting their language errors and, crucially, identifying why they made the error in the first place. Finally, they write a second version of their assessment, making the improvements they themselves have identified. The improved pieces are unlikely to be flawless but, for me, this is not really the intention. The time and resourcefulness required for the pupils

to work it out for themselves has a far greater impact on their habits as learners. The final piece of the Jigsaw. For me, the most vital element of the Teaching & Learning Statement is to nurture the pupils’ zest for learning, to show them—as Claxton insists—that ‘learning is learnable’. Without it, our efforts to meet all the other demands of the Jigsaw become process-driven or, worse still, are met with resistance from the pupils. If we can capture the imagination of our learners through stimulating curriculum content and consistent, lesson-by-lesson challenge, the rest will follow (hopefully).

References Lucas, Bill Why Leaders need to be Learners, 2010 Claxton, Guy www.buildinglearningpower.co.uk

“If […] intelligence is seen as itself learnable, then a whole different set of educational possibilities become thinkable”

Lucas (2010)

Fig.9—Target Language Feedback at GCSE

Fig.10—Assessment, Self-Assessment,

Improvement.

Key Principles of Learning 1. Learning is life-long and part of what makes us human. 2. Learning and wellbeing are closely connected. 3. Learning works best when the learner’s prior learning is recognised. 4. Learning and context are closely linked. 5. Becoming an expert learner requires practice. 6. Learning that is worthwhile actively engages the learner. 7. Learning involves feeling as well as thinking. 8. Learning involves social as well as individual processes. 9. Learning involves doing as well as thinking. 10. Learning requires reflection. 11. Learning is influenced by mindset. 12. Learning is learnable. Lucas (2010)