Learning Walks Feedback Student Engagement – Jan-Feb 2012

Two Areas of Strength

Teachers used many interesting ways of engaging students with the starter activities often hooking students into the learning immediately. In the same way, teachers often used interesting and entertaining methods to engage and motivate. In one particularly engaging activity students sat back to back with one drawing what the other described.  This lesson then developed into one in which all students were actively and enthusiastically engaged, eager to show what they had learned. 

Another particularly engaging lesson was described as a ‘hive of activity’ in which the students were able to give clear, confident explanations about the effects of packaging on global warming. One of the key strengths in many lessons was the timely intervention of teachers during independent learning, using intervention well to ensure that students remained focused and on task.

The ‘high levels of passion for their subject’ was noted during a visit to MFL with a range of interactive resources used to inspire and motivate.

Questioning was also used to engage: In questioning whole classes, some teachers drew less confident students into discussions by highlighting that they were going to be asked a question next, therefore giving students time to think and prepare for their participation. Full responses were also encouraged, with most students keen to justify their thoughts.


An Area for Development

As we see often, students often learn best from one another and when they can work collaboratively. One of our challenges – and this leads on to the learning walk focus for this week – is to implement more opportunities for students to work actively within different learning scenarios. A further challenge is to monitor the effectiveness of group work to ensure that students are always on task and focused during these times.

As always, thanks to all those who have participated. The current learning walk focus is Active Learning.
Jayne

Learning Walks Feedback Progress - January 2012

Learning Walks Feedback

Progress

January 2012

As always feedback has been overwhelmingly positive with particular praise of positive working atmospheres, good use of questioning to gauge understanding, differentiated support materials and carrousels of differentiated activities to extend students’ independent learning.

In the most successful lessons in terms of progress, there was explicit use of target grades and strategies for improvement. Students were clearly aware of what they needed to achieve and how. In these lessons, the students’ progress was very apparent.

In the first part of many lessons reference was made to what had been learned in the previous lesson. This ensured an understanding of the ‘bigger picture’ and areas for development.

My thanks to everyone who participated in this Learning Walk.

Jayne

Learning Walks Feedback Challenge and Pace January 2012

Learning Walks Feedback

Challenge and Pace

January 2012

My thanks to everyone who participated in this Learning Walk.

Areas of Strength

The January ‘blues’ do not appear to be affecting learning in Cooper as, once again, enthusiasm and engagement were a common feature in this learning walk. In the most effective lessons, activities were well timed to ensure pace and challenge. Students were welcomed with short, sharp and focused tasks at the beginning of the lesson but given adequate time to think and reflect on what was being learned. Teachers also worked hard during independent time to keep students focused and challenged.

Lessons starters were generally prompt and engaging while effective quick-fire questioning was used well to engage and motivate. Well established learning routines were also a feature. Students were generally enthusiastic in discussing content as a whole class, sharing ideas in pairs and then reflecting individually and in silence. In the most effective lessons, these routines were clearly practiced as students moved seamlessly from one task into another.
 

The learning Walk focus beginning January 16^th is Progress.

Learning Walk 6 - Starters and Plenaries (5.12.11-16.12.11)

In addition to the lively and engaging starters, it was brilliant to see so many excellent examples of plenaries and mini plenaries. It was clear that the idea of reflection and consolidation throughout the lesson is firmly embedded in our lesson planning.

Group and paired work in many lessons helped to consolidate learning with teachers pairing students in creative ways - such as mixing gifted and talented students with lower ability or by similar target levels - so that the students took control of the learning. In one excellent example, students were asked to review one another’s work in relation to KS3 criteria, explain what needed to be done to move on to the next level and then set individual targets for the next piece of work. It was clear in this example that such routines had been in place for some time and students responded well to this reflection activity.

Many thanks again to all those who participated in the Learning Walks. Have a very happy (and restful!) Christmas and New Year. The Learning walk for the 2 weeks beginning in January will be focussed on challenge and pace.

Jayne

Learning Walk 5 - Behaviour for learning (21.11.11 - 2.12.11)

Areas of strength

Unsurprisingly, a ‘calm purposeful learning environment’ featured in the majority of the lessons visited. As is becoming a regular feature of Cooper School Learning walks, feedback celebrated the high levels of engagement demonstrated by pupils as a direct result of the stimulating teaching and commented particularly on the high levels of independence as students focussed on research, planning, designing and creating, whether individually or in self selected or designated groups.

The great relationship between students and teachers is always strength of learning walks and the excellent use of praise to positively manage behaviour was a regular feature of the lessons seen.

Learning Walk 4 - Use of New Technologies - 7th – 18th November

Many thanks as always to everyone involved in the Learning Walk.

Areas of Strength:
To some extent, the use of ICT (although not specifically ‘new’ technology) was evident in most lessons observed, with teachers often using ppt to focus on lesson objectives, guide the direction of the lesson and remind students of success criteria. Some lessons had a more student centered use of technology where students researched information and presented their ideas or where students were encouraged to participate by coming up to the SMARTboard to add comments or draw attention to key points. In these lessons students, especially boys, were instantly engaged through the use of ICT.

The use of ‘new’ technologies was less evident in this learning walk although the use of MATHLETICS in which year 9 students were ‘gripped’ by their enthusiasm to compete with students across the world testing their mental maths ability against the clock in order to collect points to decorate their avatar. This worked brilliantly for the ‘gaming’ generation as well as developing key skills. The lessons generated a ‘genuine buzz’ and parents at ‘Parentvoice’ were talking about it as well!

Learning Walk 3 October - November 2011 - AFL

 

As always, a key attribute of many of the lessons visited was the engagement and enthusiasm of the students as a result of the challenging and stimulating teaching they enjoyed.

In lessons where the learning objectives were specific and focused, this enabled students to competently build on their skills and demonstrate progress.

In one lesson, students were given a variety of images at the beginning of the lesson and asked to predict the main focus of the lesson. They then went on to create their own success criteria based on their target grades and previous learning, thus ensuring that learning was personalised and focused for each student.

In another lesson, a longer piece of extended writing had the first section of the work assessed in detail and students were then asked to review what they had written in the rest of the piece. This meant that –as this formed part of part of a lesson – it was an instant indicator of assessment aiding progress and ensured that students were an integral part of the assessment process.

 Many thanks to all those who participated in the learning walks.

Jayne

Areas of Strength: