Setting up a lesson for good progress

The key principles of learning and making progress are: Making sense of the information Building on existing understanding Learning just beyond current understanding

Have clear learning objectives ensures the students can ‘make sense’ of the lesson.

But what is are good learning objectives that helps the students KNOW they are going to make progress?

Activity 1.

The process of learning

In its simplest form learning is a 2 step process:

1. Surface or shallow learning – this is the picking up of facts. This can be monitored by simple telling and checking. ‘What is...’ ; ‘how does’

2. Understanding or deeper leaning – this is making sense of that factual learning – showing they understand. This is much more complex and is not as easy to check. We therefore have to be creative and persistent in setting up methods to ensure this happens and to CHECK it has happened.

Effective Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, you will:

1. Know……….

2. Understand ……….

3. Develop skills in ……..

Super-learners will ………

WALTWhat Are weLearning Today?

•

•

•

•

You will know you have done well if you…

Have completed the ……..Have produced the original writing

on ….Know exactly what level your work

is atBe confident in ……..

WILF

•

•

•

•

What am I Looking For?

A new way of planning for progress

Day:Period:

Know:Understand:Develop skills in:Super-learner objective:

Starter Activity: Target board Mini whiteboard

Main student learning activities: Activities to check progress:

End of lesson plenary:

What to teach in a single lesson?

Scheme of work – stick to it Exam questions – use the wording Coursework criteria – know them and

work to the wording ( which of course the children have!)

Skill development – tell them why it is useful for them to develop this skill

Activities to support making progress

Pupil engagement in their learning• No copying

• Hands-on doing

• Visual too

• No lecturing

• As little of you as possible!!!!!!

Activity 2.

Pace - no dead time!

Checking progress – key elements

ALL students - every last one in the room!!!

Not just at the end - do midway through lesson .. Or even better, after EVERY activity

Keep going back to the learning objectives and outcomes (and the SUPER LEARNER ONE)

Students MUST participate Use variety PLAN PLAN PLAN to check progress – then

you really will

Students have to see they have made progress

Language of learning Developing skills of self-review Levels and grades – critical to making

progress 3 key questions:

1.‘where am I now?’2.‘where should I be?’3.‘how do I get there?’

Language of making progressTeaching children the language of learning is a very important tool. It gives them the skills to talk to you about their progress. Here are some good examples with the learning words highlighted:‘Today you will learn……’‘What have you learned today?’‘What have you learned so far in today’s lesson?’‘You are going to develop the following skills today…….’‘I want you to analyse this work for the following……….using the skills you learned from the business cards’‘If you reach this point you will have made excellent progress’‘Tell me what extras do you need to include for a level 7?’‘I am moving you seats so you will make greater progress Tom and so will the girls you were stopping learning’

Some more simple ideas

1. Get them to write down 3 things they know about…… at the start of the lesson – then at the end ask them to write down 10 ( do a sum…..then re-do it)

2. ‘What have I learned so far today….?’3. ‘What is wrong with this then???’Activity 3.

And at the end of a lesson

Get the students to CHECK against L. Obj. ( it is ok not to have fully met them!)

Have a ‘rounding it all off’ momentActivity 4 – e.g. noughts and crosses Peer assessments …e.g. all stop and look OR

swap and grade OR comment on how to improve OR what do I add to get the next grade?

Exit cards – Activity 5.

Checking my progress sheet: Name:…………………………………………..

Fill this in and hand it in as you leave. Day and date:………………….Today I made the

following amount of progress:

(Circle what you think)

A great deal Some progressNot as much progress

as I could

I learned the following:

To improve I now need to:

An easy self-checking ‘exit card’

And finally……

You knowing about the progress isn’t the same as them knowing!

You have to check they have learned it They have to know they have learned it Then they will value your lessons, engage in

them and make even more progress. Remember …every lesson’s progress adds

to their life chances!

This is the moment where progress in lessons leads us..

…to our children’s futures.