THE EVOLUTION OF iLEARN - DOES FOCUSING ON INDEPENDENCE CREATE BETTER LEARNERS?
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THE EVOLUTION OF iLEARN
DOES FOCUSING ON INDEPENDENCE CREATE
BETTER LEARNERS?
THE IMPORTANCE OF
CONTEXT
OUSEDALE
2100+ students on 2 campuses 8 miles apart:
Current position 2014
Newport Pagnell : 78% A* - C with English and
Year 7 – Year 13 maths at GCSE
8 form entry pre-16 (240 per year group) 6th best comprehensive school
6th Form of 420+ students
Nationally for total point score
Olney:
per student at A2
Year 7 – Year 11
4 form entry pre-16 only (120 per year
group)
ILEARN : THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS The Triggers The Journey Implementation Review
THE TRIGGERS
Internally
We have recognised difference between the levels of independence teachers
expect to see in Year 12 and the mechanisms we put in place in our pre-16
provision to enable students to be independent learners.
Externally
This situation was also recognised by OFSTED:
use a broader range of strategies to develop students’
independent learning skills
OFSTED Report May 2012
iLearn Consistency Flexibility
Consistency / Flexibility
The key element that kept coming up as an outcome of the Training
Day was that staff wanted a consistent whole school approach but the
flexibility to implement it in their departments.
This clearly provides a challenge, however, iLearn through the
following 4 strands provides both:
i Get Ahead
iLearn
i iScore
i The Independent Classroom
i Learning Outside the classroom (LOtC)
Consistency / Flexibility
To allow consistency and
flexibility the iLEARN model is Subject specific
language
built upon a whole school core Schemes
which departments can build of Work
Lesson
upon. Planning
Get Ahead iScore
Subject
Specific
skills
iLearn
iLearn
Learning
Independent Outside Trips & visits
ENvironment The
Classroom
Specific subject
resources Homework
Tasks
Specialist room
requirements Use of sites
iLearn Get ahead
Consistency Flexibility
ilearner
CharacterIstIcs
Problem solver
Motivated
Curious
Resilient
Reflective
iLearn
Collaborator
Connects ideas
Questioning
iLearn iScore
Consistency FlexibilityLearner Led
i8
Open Discovery
i7
Discovery
i6
Questioning
Modelling
Guided
i5
------------------------
SeLF-CHeCK
i4
Reciprocal
i3
Practice
i2
Prescribed
i1
iScoreThe independent environment
In order for a cultural shift to occur it is essential that students (and staff) are able to
immerse themselves in learning.
This means information and resources to support learning should be widely and constantly
accessible. Key elements of the environment that should be utilised fully to encourage
independence include:
• The classroom environment
• Non-subject specific space (indoors and outdoors)
• The Learning Resources Centre
• IT accessibility
iLearn
Traditional ROOMS, SCHOOL DAY, LIBRARY are all TRADITIONAL = immersion is difficult as
students cannot necessarily learn when it is most convenient to them.
We must affect these.The Classroom
• ‘I’m stuck’ wall
iLearn
• Assessment data display – NC / subject specific –‘Where
am I? - Where am I going?’, scaffolding.iLearn The independent environment
iLearn The independent environment
The Outdoor Classroom
“When planned and implemented well, learning outside
the classroom contributed significantly to raising
standards and improving pupils’ personal, social and
emotional development.” OFSTED 2008
We are hugely privileged to have the school environment (on both
Campuses) that we do.
Whilst the buildings may not contribute hugely or be conducive to inspiring
iLearn
learning, the school grounds and local environment certainly provide a
fantastic resource to explore active and inspirational learning across the
curriculum.Learning Outside The
Classroom
At School
Shine Days, enrichment and extra-curricular clubs
Non-subject specific space
The Learning Resources Centres (LRC)
Beyond School
ilearn
Homework
Clubs and Community ProjectsPLANNING FOR INDEPENDENCE
Preparing for ilearn
Schemes of work:
Not hierarchical
Planning lessons/sequence of lessons
What works for you/students
Variety/options
Engage with what we teach and how we
deliver
Environment:
Assessment information is empowering
‘I’m stuck’ – recognising that we don’t
always have the answers!SCHEMES OF WORK/LESSON PLANNING
KNOWING WHAT TO DO
WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO!
Building resilience through modelling and
Learning how to get unstuck through
scaffolding
knowing questions to ask yourself and
where/how to find out.
‘Explain why…..’ ‘I’m stuck’ board used as a way of dealing
Develop approaches and build confidence with common issues, misconceptions and
Processes misunderstandings
Sets the right tone/ethos
What it might look like
Allows the modelling of approaches to
Try it out and replicate
getting unstuck!
Building student capacity with strategies that
they can learn and employ successfully:
Key ideas, words and connectionsA DEVELOPMENT MODEL - HISTORY
Knowing the end point
3500 word coursework essay using information
from a range of sources.
Foundations in Year 12 term 1:
Limited independence
Modelling of approaches
Developing approaches in Year 12 Term 2:
Increasing independence
Putting learnt approaches into practiceYEAR 13 TERM 1 – INCREASING INDEPENDENCE AND WORKING TOWARDS THE FINAL GOAL
LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM Having fun, doing things differently Building collaboration and connections Sharing ideas, reaching conclusions, making judgements Coming up with questions to take the learning further
THE IMPORTANCE OF QUESTIONING Questioning and question rich classrooms are really important for the development of independent, confident learners Promoting questioning : Establishes a tone Promotes enquiry Encourages thinking Generates enthusiasm Models the kind of questions that students can ask of themselves to move their own learning forward
PROMOTING INDEPENDENCE: AVOIDING THE TRAPS Ownership is key: All staff need to BELIEVE – careful of BRANDING ownership Emphasise the FLEXIBILITY of iScore– don’t stop good and outstanding teachers being good and outstanding Focus on Better Learners - ‘Independence’ gives lazy / poor teachers and excuse
GET AHEAD REFLECTIONS
The ‘Get Ahead’ characteristics have encouraged staff to be more
• aware
a more of explicit
independent learning
and overt use inoftheir lessons.
the characteristics as both reminders
Staff
andhave been will
signposts more conscious
properly embed of developing opportunities
them in everyday forand
practice
independent
consciousness.learning and building up these skills in students and
• developing resilience.
It is not always apparent when observing or entering classrooms that
staff are are
Students consciously
motivatedreferring to I ‘learn
by focussing characteristics
on these to students.
skills and are
Teachers show
understanding howit inthey
planning but some
are using students
them within are still
subject unaware.
areas.ISCORE REFLECTIONS Teachers are more reflective about their planning and teaching and about each task they set in lessons iScore has greatly aided differentiation within lessons – better scaffolding and more challenge One particular challenge has been to try to stop viewing the iScore as a hierarchy to work through. I expect that, as confidence and competence grows, much greater flexibility, mixing and matching will occur.
ILEARN ENVIRONMENT I’m Stuck’ board has effectively supported more independent learning – ‘ students see this as a key resource and are much more willing to help themselves before asking the teacher The classrooms are now structured and better geared for learning with displays which are not only decorative but interactive. Assessment wall less significant now as teachers focus more on work ethic and move away from level descriptors Although the ‘I’m stuck boards’ have been well resourced, students are reluctant to use them during lesson time.
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