Learning Together
In order to ensure excellent learning, we need to support our students in developing the skills that they need to work effectively with one another - 'work together' is one of the 16 Habits of Mind of the most successful people!
As a school. we promote the use of group-work through a series of common approaches to learning together that go across the curriculum. Each of these strategies is designed to support learning in a specific way:
> One Stray - Supporting the creation of new groups
> Round Robin - Supporting the development of ideas across groups
> Jobs for All - Supporting effective discussion through consistent roles
> Talking Chips - Supporting students to think about all contributions
> Ranking Exercise - Supporting students to negotiate to come to an agreement
> Playing Cards - Supporting group discussions through a series of games
> Show Down - Supprting peer assessment of learning that has taken place
Using these strategies consistently means that our students are experts in their use. As a consequence of this, they develop many of the key Habits of Mind such as the ability to work together, communicate clearly and listen and understand - they become increasingly skilful learners!
As a school. we promote the use of group-work through a series of common approaches to learning together that go across the curriculum. Each of these strategies is designed to support learning in a specific way:
> One Stray - Supporting the creation of new groups
> Round Robin - Supporting the development of ideas across groups
> Jobs for All - Supporting effective discussion through consistent roles
> Talking Chips - Supporting students to think about all contributions
> Ranking Exercise - Supporting students to negotiate to come to an agreement
> Playing Cards - Supporting group discussions through a series of games
> Show Down - Supprting peer assessment of learning that has taken place
Using these strategies consistently means that our students are experts in their use. As a consequence of this, they develop many of the key Habits of Mind such as the ability to work together, communicate clearly and listen and understand - they become increasingly skilful learners!
After launching the Learning Together section of our Learning Box with seven key approaches to group work, three additional approaches were introduced in a second wave of group work strategies! These additional approaches reflected the continuing developments that we have made to our practice.
Once again, each of the approaches has a specific function and these are:
> Jigsaw - Students each taking responsibility for a different aspect of the subject being studied and then being responsible for sharing this with the rest of their group.
> Heads Together - A variation on a Show Down task. After completing a task individually, students then have the task of sharing their ideas with one another. Rather than identifying which response is the most effective, the task for students is to consider how these can be combined into one definitive response.
> Rally - A strategy that involves students taking turns in order to answer a series of questions / respond to a task. Whilst one student answers, the second student undertakes one of a variety of different roles such as coaching their partner to improve the response.
Once again, each of the approaches has a specific function and these are:
> Jigsaw - Students each taking responsibility for a different aspect of the subject being studied and then being responsible for sharing this with the rest of their group.
> Heads Together - A variation on a Show Down task. After completing a task individually, students then have the task of sharing their ideas with one another. Rather than identifying which response is the most effective, the task for students is to consider how these can be combined into one definitive response.
> Rally - A strategy that involves students taking turns in order to answer a series of questions / respond to a task. Whilst one student answers, the second student undertakes one of a variety of different roles such as coaching their partner to improve the response.