TALKING ROUND CORNERS:

Talking, listening and learning inInverclyde

FIONA NORRIS

JULIE DOCHERTY

LYNN GILLAN

Reasons to be talking and listening

• Language, and especially spoken language, buildsconnections in the brain; especially during the early years

• Spoken language is humankind’s main means ofcommunication

• Talking and listening builds relationships, confidence, asense of self

• Language and the development of thought are inseparable– ‘how do I know what I think until I hear what I say?

• Democracies need citizens who can argue, reason, question• Research shows that high quality talking and listening

increases pupils’ attention and motivation – they likelearning better when they are able to talk about theirlearning.

WHY THIS,WHY NOW?

DRIVERS FOR CHANGE….

AIFL

ACE

LOCAL NEED

NOT

ANOTHER

INNOVATION !

ONLY CONNECT

Project Aims ?As teachers and learners we hope to:

• Improve our understanding of the role of talking and listening in the learning process

• Become more confident in using classroom talk

• Develop and share good practice in talking and listening

So….where are we now?

• 9 schools,16 teachers• P1 – P7• Including a special school and Gaelic

Medium Unit• Each teacher asked initially to choose an

aspect of discussion or questioning to focuson

How are we monitoring the impact?

• Team from Strathclyde• Baseline questionnaire• Use of DVD evidence• Teacher diaries/notes• Informal feedback on visits and during

recall days• Listening to pupils…..

Where are we going?

• 2 year project• June 2007 -final evaluation by Strathclyde team• August/September 2007 launch event of support

materials produced including:dvd exemplifying good practice/pupil progressionand accompanying notesStrathclyde evaluation reportsample lessonsfurther resources

TALKING, LISTENING, LEARNING, YEAR 1Development Model

Ideas, Input2 Days - August

Classroom Practice

Observation Feedback / Reflection

F.N / J.C

Develop Practice

Recall Day1(Nov)Ideas, Input

Classroom Practice

ObservationFeedbackReflection

Recall Day3 (Jun)Sharing Practice

Ideas Input / Interim evaluationPlanning for Progression

Develop Practice

ObservationFeedbackReflection

Classroom Practice

Recall Day2 (Mar)Sharing Practice (5 Teachers)

Ideas, InputResources

Develop Practice

Developing Together‘with’, not ‘to’

KEY INFLUENCES

• Robin Alexander

• Robert Fisher

Principles of dialogic teachinginform the Inverclyde TLL project

• Dialogic teaching is:• collective: teachers and children address learning tasks together,

whether as a group or as a class;• reciprocal: teachers and children listen to each other, share ideas and

consider alternative viewpoints;• supportive: children articulate their ideas freely, without fear or

embarrassment over ‘wrong’ answers; and they help each other toreach common understandings;

• cumulative: teachers and children build on their own and each others’ideas and chain them into coherent lines of thinking and enquiry;

• purposeful: teachers plan and steer classroom talk with specificeducational goals in view (RJA)

What are our areas of enquiry?• A range of learning activities have been taking place to develop pupil awareness of the

importance of talking and listening in their own learning including:

establishing rules/routines for effective discussion‘thinking hands’ / ‘listening bodies’Varying group sizes within lessonTalking partnersShared leadershipBloom’s Taxonomy flip cardsDiscussion of question-types with pupilsTeachers using answers to build dialoguePupils formulating questionsPupils analysing the effectiveness of talking/listening in the lessonPupils mediating the discussion – pupil/pupil handover – teachers stepping backPupils negotiating/evaluating/reaching consensusBeginnings of pupil awareness of chaining of ideas/building enquiry

A vital part of improving learnersA vital part of improving learners’’ experiences experiencesis increasing thinking time, and time foris increasing thinking time, and time fordialogue. For example, really good dialogue isdialogue. For example, really good dialogue isencouraged when the teacher poses openencouraged when the teacher poses openquestions, questions that challenge learners toquestions, questions that challenge learners toengage, to explore, to think, to understand,engage, to explore, to think, to understand,and to learn. Great teachers ask greatand to learn. Great teachers ask greatquestionsquestions

((HMIeHMIe –– The Journey to Excellence) The Journey to Excellence)

Any Questions?