A collection of posts with a focus on giving learners the opportunity to talk, create ideas, then challenge them, so refining their thinking.
Experience, Explore, Explain. Every lesson is an English lesson.
My ideas usually come not at my desk writing but in the midst of living. Anais Nin
Everyone is looking for value for money. Two for one offers in shops seem to have an impact, so why have we not sought to find ways to make best use of available learning time to ensure that we get as much value as possible from each lesson? If lessons could provide 200% value, how much further could children progress?
The current curriculum is divided into separate subjects, with a perceived hierarchy starting with maths and English. As a result, some curricular areas are beginning to find that they are at best becoming marginalised, but just about holding onto their place within learning opportunities, or at worst, that they have been put aside, at least while the pressure seems to be to increase headline scores in the “basics”.
Over my career, I have had many discussions about the place of reading, writing and speaking time within topic areas. The argument polarises around the debate whether the English elements are there for the purposes of broadening opportunity for English, or whether they are science, history, geography and so on. This sometimes seemed a distraction, but usually had the impact in some classes of ensuring that the available time for topic areas was spent doing more English, rather than allowing time for the practical aspects of the topic subject. The loss of this practical time reduced the potential for the higher level topic skills to be developed, reducing the time for children to really engage with the subject.
I would want to argue, and here I know that I have no counter argument, so am free to indulge in a flight of fancy, that the high level engagement in topic areas supports the development of higher level English skills, purely and simply because the children have to develop the vocabulary and spoken structures within which they can seek to express what they have encountered, as reported speech, prior to reported writing or writing instructions or some other non-fiction element. The deeper the engagement, the higher will be the quality of speech, reportage and subsequent attempts at
writing.
Jerome Bruner wrote that “the language of education, if it is to be an invitation to reflection and culture creating, cannot be the so-called uncontaminated language of fact and ‘objectivity’. It must express stance and must invite counter- stance, and in the process leave place for reflection, for meta-cognition. It is this that permits one to reach higher ground, this process of objectifying in language or image what one has thought and then turning around and re-considering it.”
If children have something to think about, then talk about, isn’t it easy to see that they might then have something to write about? Time to talk, explore, play with ideas and language should be a part of every aspect of life, in and out of school classrooms. I know that not all homes are geared up to do this, but every classroom should be a language workshop, with a wide variety of opportunities for children to engage with each other and with the adults present to share and refine their thoughts through discussion.
Why have we held on to the thought that silent classrooms are best?
Experience, Explore, Explain. Every lesson is an English lesson.
My ideas usually come not at my desk writing but in the midst of living. Anais Nin
Everyone is looking for value for money. Two for one offers in shops seem to have an impact, so why have we not sought to find ways to make best use of available learning time to ensure that we get as much value as possible from each lesson? If lessons could provide 200% value, how much further could children progress?
The current curriculum is divided into separate subjects, with a perceived hierarchy starting with maths and English. As a result, some curricular areas are beginning to find that they are at best becoming marginalised, but just about holding onto their place within learning opportunities, or at worst, that they have been put aside, at least while the pressure seems to be to increase headline scores in the “basics”.
Over my career, I have had many discussions about the place of reading, writing and speaking time within topic areas. The argument polarises around the debate whether the English elements are there for the purposes of broadening opportunity for English, or whether they are science, history, geography and so on. This sometimes seemed a distraction, but usually had the impact in some classes of ensuring that the available time for topic areas was spent doing more English, rather than allowing time for the practical aspects of the topic subject. The loss of this practical time reduced the potential for the higher level topic skills to be developed, reducing the time for children to really engage with the subject.
I would want to argue, and here I know that I have no counter argument, so am free to indulge in a flight of fancy, that the high level engagement in topic areas supports the development of higher level English skills, purely and simply because the children have to develop the vocabulary and spoken structures within which they can seek to express what they have encountered, as reported speech, prior to reported writing or writing instructions or some other non-fiction element. The deeper the engagement, the higher will be the quality of speech, reportage and subsequent attempts at
writing.
Jerome Bruner wrote that “the language of education, if it is to be an invitation to reflection and culture creating, cannot be the so-called uncontaminated language of fact and ‘objectivity’. It must express stance and must invite counter- stance, and in the process leave place for reflection, for meta-cognition. It is this that permits one to reach higher ground, this process of objectifying in language or image what one has thought and then turning around and re-considering it.”
If children have something to think about, then talk about, isn’t it easy to see that they might then have something to write about? Time to talk, explore, play with ideas and language should be a part of every aspect of life, in and out of school classrooms. I know that not all homes are geared up to do this, but every classroom should be a language workshop, with a wide variety of opportunities for children to engage with each other and with the adults present to share and refine their thoughts through discussion.
Why have we held on to the thought that silent classrooms are best?
All talk or no talk?
P.O.W. Alicia Keys
I’m a prisoner of words unsaid
Just lonely feelings locked away in my head
I trap myself further every time I stay quiet
I should start to speak but I stop and stay silent
And now I’ve made my own hard bed
Inside a prison of words unsaid
To my mind, an essential, probably the most essential, aspect of learning is communication, from and between participants, whether overt, as in conversation and discussion, or internally through reflection on an idea, with opportunities to explore thinking through dialogue.
It is important to remember that for, potentially, a large number of children, whether from an English or other heritage background, the classroom is the most significant language environment that they will encounter. Many children start formal education with a deficit compared to peers, in some areas to a significant degree. The means of bridging this is overt modelling on a grand scale.
If teaching is getting an idea across to an audience, this requires a level of communication skill that can be adapted to the needs of the group if there is a sense of mismatch. A didactic lecturer simply puts ideas into the learning context. If the audience is receptive and in tune with the information being shared, they will be capable of extracting details which accord with or add to the sum of their knowledge. It may challenge pre-conceived notions. This is relatively sophisticated however, but it is reasonable to assume a level of intellectual capacity in, say, a university setting.
However, there can appear to be a view that this is “the way” to teach. If that is the case, then there is an argument for a singularity of approach, which could be delivered through an interactive whiteboard and broadband link, using those designated as “super teachers”. TV series, produced by the OU and BBC could be used.
In an Early Years setting, simply talking at the children is likely to encounter a very different response. How long can a three/four year old listen to a single source constructively? Are the words a supplement to other experiences which hold the attention and provide the motivation, rather than the essential core? Young children have a more limited vocabulary, into which they embed ongoing learning, making links and adaptations. The richness of the available experiences will enable the broadest possible use of language, involving a wider range of naming words, with accompanying descriptive vocabulary.
In a vocabulary and experience rich environment, learners are enabled to listen to adults and peers using words to construct ideas, to explore beyond the immediate into imagination and speculation, further enriching opportunities. Learners who are enabled to be articulate offer a purposefully listening teacher the chance to share and explore the models of thought, by getting learners to unpick their thought process. This modelling offers other learners an insight into different modes of thinking, in so doing, allowing them to develop their own.
If, however, from this stage, the primary source of words and communication is by and through the teacher, although one would expect a significant level of modelling, without the opportunity to use and embed the language being learned, the child may make significantly less progress, as the articulation to an audience allows for feedback, questioning, clarification, rephrasing and a reassessment of the original thought. This can also be seen as oral rehearsal for writing, where ideas are considered, drafted and redrafted after feedback and reflection.
Classroom lessons and outside experiences should be workshops for ideas. Ideas are captured in drawings, models and words. The richer the idea generation and the breadth and depth of reflective thinking possible within the learning space, the greater the potential for learning.
P.O.W. Alicia Keys
I’m a prisoner of words unsaid
Just lonely feelings locked away in my head
I trap myself further every time I stay quiet
I should start to speak but I stop and stay silent
And now I’ve made my own hard bed
Inside a prison of words unsaid
I am a P.O.W. not a prisoner of war a prisoner of words
Like a soldier I’m a fighter, yet only a puppet
Mostly I only say what you wanna hear
Could you take it if I came clear?
Or would you rather see me stoned on a drug of complacency and compromise
M.I.A. I guess that’s what I am.Scraping this cold earth
For a piece of myself for peace in myself
It’d be easier if you put me in jail if you locked me away
I’d have someone to blame but these bars of steel are of my making
They surround my mind and have me shaking
My hands are cuffed behind my back, I’m a prisoner of the worst kind, in fact
A prisoner of compromise, a prisoner of compassion
A prisoner of kindness, a prisoner of expectation
A prisoner of my youth, run too fast to be old
I’ve forgotten what I was told, ain’t I a sight to behold?
A prisoner of age dying to be young, to my head is my hand with a gun
And it’s cold and it’s hard, ‘cause there’s nowhere to run
When you’ve caged yourself by holding your tongue
I’m a prisoner of words unsaid
Just lonely feelings locked away in my head
It’s like solitary confinement every time I stay quiet
I should start to speak but I stop and stay silent
And now I’ve made my own hard bed
Inside a prison of words unsaid.
P.O.W. Alicia Keys
I’m a prisoner of words unsaid
Just lonely feelings locked away in my head
I trap myself further every time I stay quiet
I should start to speak but I stop and stay silent
And now I’ve made my own hard bed
Inside a prison of words unsaid
To my mind, an essential, probably the most essential, aspect of learning is communication, from and between participants, whether overt, as in conversation and discussion, or internally through reflection on an idea, with opportunities to explore thinking through dialogue.
It is important to remember that for, potentially, a large number of children, whether from an English or other heritage background, the classroom is the most significant language environment that they will encounter. Many children start formal education with a deficit compared to peers, in some areas to a significant degree. The means of bridging this is overt modelling on a grand scale.
If teaching is getting an idea across to an audience, this requires a level of communication skill that can be adapted to the needs of the group if there is a sense of mismatch. A didactic lecturer simply puts ideas into the learning context. If the audience is receptive and in tune with the information being shared, they will be capable of extracting details which accord with or add to the sum of their knowledge. It may challenge pre-conceived notions. This is relatively sophisticated however, but it is reasonable to assume a level of intellectual capacity in, say, a university setting.
However, there can appear to be a view that this is “the way” to teach. If that is the case, then there is an argument for a singularity of approach, which could be delivered through an interactive whiteboard and broadband link, using those designated as “super teachers”. TV series, produced by the OU and BBC could be used.
In an Early Years setting, simply talking at the children is likely to encounter a very different response. How long can a three/four year old listen to a single source constructively? Are the words a supplement to other experiences which hold the attention and provide the motivation, rather than the essential core? Young children have a more limited vocabulary, into which they embed ongoing learning, making links and adaptations. The richness of the available experiences will enable the broadest possible use of language, involving a wider range of naming words, with accompanying descriptive vocabulary.
In a vocabulary and experience rich environment, learners are enabled to listen to adults and peers using words to construct ideas, to explore beyond the immediate into imagination and speculation, further enriching opportunities. Learners who are enabled to be articulate offer a purposefully listening teacher the chance to share and explore the models of thought, by getting learners to unpick their thought process. This modelling offers other learners an insight into different modes of thinking, in so doing, allowing them to develop their own.
If, however, from this stage, the primary source of words and communication is by and through the teacher, although one would expect a significant level of modelling, without the opportunity to use and embed the language being learned, the child may make significantly less progress, as the articulation to an audience allows for feedback, questioning, clarification, rephrasing and a reassessment of the original thought. This can also be seen as oral rehearsal for writing, where ideas are considered, drafted and redrafted after feedback and reflection.
Classroom lessons and outside experiences should be workshops for ideas. Ideas are captured in drawings, models and words. The richer the idea generation and the breadth and depth of reflective thinking possible within the learning space, the greater the potential for learning.
P.O.W. Alicia Keys
I’m a prisoner of words unsaid
Just lonely feelings locked away in my head
I trap myself further every time I stay quiet
I should start to speak but I stop and stay silent
And now I’ve made my own hard bed
Inside a prison of words unsaid
I am a P.O.W. not a prisoner of war a prisoner of words
Like a soldier I’m a fighter, yet only a puppet
Mostly I only say what you wanna hear
Could you take it if I came clear?
Or would you rather see me stoned on a drug of complacency and compromise
M.I.A. I guess that’s what I am.Scraping this cold earth
For a piece of myself for peace in myself
It’d be easier if you put me in jail if you locked me away
I’d have someone to blame but these bars of steel are of my making
They surround my mind and have me shaking
My hands are cuffed behind my back, I’m a prisoner of the worst kind, in fact
A prisoner of compromise, a prisoner of compassion
A prisoner of kindness, a prisoner of expectation
A prisoner of my youth, run too fast to be old
I’ve forgotten what I was told, ain’t I a sight to behold?
A prisoner of age dying to be young, to my head is my hand with a gun
And it’s cold and it’s hard, ‘cause there’s nowhere to run
When you’ve caged yourself by holding your tongue
I’m a prisoner of words unsaid
Just lonely feelings locked away in my head
It’s like solitary confinement every time I stay quiet
I should start to speak but I stop and stay silent
And now I’ve made my own hard bed
Inside a prison of words unsaid.
Something to talk about
I had time this week to stand and observe, while undertaking a school assessment, but the event I was witnessing warranted more than a passing glance. A Learning Support Assistant was working with a small group of boys, whom I later discovered were, or were thought to be on the Autism Spectrum. They had a collection of rocks, to look at and handle and were encouraged to do so, at the same time sharing words which that the handling brought to mind. These were recorded, for later use. Over time the words themselves were discussed, seeking to embed new words into the conceptual understanding of the children. They had a programme on the Interactive Whiteboard with information about the rocks, which they were encouraged to read, collaboratively. They had something which allowed them to retrieve appropriate vocabulary, the expression of which enabled the LSA to investigate, through careful and subtle questions any additional understanding and to add to the sum of their experience.
I had time this week to stand and observe, while undertaking a school assessment, but the event I was witnessing warranted more than a passing glance. A Learning Support Assistant was working with a small group of boys, whom I later discovered were, or were thought to be on the Autism Spectrum. They had a collection of rocks, to look at and handle and were encouraged to do so, at the same time sharing words which that the handling brought to mind. These were recorded, for later use. Over time the words themselves were discussed, seeking to embed new words into the conceptual understanding of the children. They had a programme on the Interactive Whiteboard with information about the rocks, which they were encouraged to read, collaboratively. They had something which allowed them to retrieve appropriate vocabulary, the expression of which enabled the LSA to investigate, through careful and subtle questions any additional understanding and to add to the sum of their experience.
In another room, a second LSA was working with a group exploring spatial words, but with a real context. A strip of card, with pictures of cars in a row, was in front of each child, who had to select the appropriate car from a basket in the middle of the table, so 1-1 matching was at the heart of the experience. Each child had to count the cars, so ordinal number, appropriate to them. There then followed a discussion of where cars were in relation to each other, eg in front, behind, between, next to, but as full oral sentences. “The yellow car is between the red car and the black car.”
Thinking is an essential component of learning; without it a learner would not exist, except in the most passive form, the stereotypical “empty jug”. I can’t say for certain that every child learned in these experiences. It would need a revisit and a check on their retention of the information.
How can we ever know what is going on in a learner’s head, unless there are opportunities for them to express their ideas cogently, with the view that all expression is a “draft thought”, capable of challenge and alteration through discussion? This can occur in writing, but writing is likely to have already gone through a thought process before being produced. However, seen as a draft, writing can be seen as supportive of developmental “conversation”, orally or through effective marking.
Therefore talk appears, to me, to be a major component of learning experience. To make real progress in learning, learners need to make sense of both what they know and how they know it, orally and through appropriate recording. They need to have a confidence in their relationship with a teacher to ensure they become independent producers, not just passive consumers of learning.
We talk of learning journeys for children. It is possible to use the idea of a journey to support a child’s articulation of what they are thinking and reflecting on how their ideas have changed. Essentially the learner becomes the storyteller of an episode of learning, using recount in as detailed a form as possible to put across an idea. Storyboarding, or developmental notes, can support the expressive process. Their audience, members of the class, including the teacher, can ask for clarification and provide feedback. Learning thereby becomes a collegiate project.
Thinking is an essential component of learning; without it a learner would not exist, except in the most passive form, the stereotypical “empty jug”. I can’t say for certain that every child learned in these experiences. It would need a revisit and a check on their retention of the information.
How can we ever know what is going on in a learner’s head, unless there are opportunities for them to express their ideas cogently, with the view that all expression is a “draft thought”, capable of challenge and alteration through discussion? This can occur in writing, but writing is likely to have already gone through a thought process before being produced. However, seen as a draft, writing can be seen as supportive of developmental “conversation”, orally or through effective marking.
Therefore talk appears, to me, to be a major component of learning experience. To make real progress in learning, learners need to make sense of both what they know and how they know it, orally and through appropriate recording. They need to have a confidence in their relationship with a teacher to ensure they become independent producers, not just passive consumers of learning.
We talk of learning journeys for children. It is possible to use the idea of a journey to support a child’s articulation of what they are thinking and reflecting on how their ideas have changed. Essentially the learner becomes the storyteller of an episode of learning, using recount in as detailed a form as possible to put across an idea. Storyboarding, or developmental notes, can support the expressive process. Their audience, members of the class, including the teacher, can ask for clarification and provide feedback. Learning thereby becomes a collegiate project.
Working with a year two class, I asked a group of children to unpick how they thought their way through a multiplication equation, step by step instructions, which they then asked a peer to follow, as a check mechanism. This produced quite deep discussions and ironed out a number of misconceptions on the way, especially as they were identified and then easily addressed.
Science with a year four class entailed a challenge to set up a fair test to find the best paper to send a parcel through the post. Having had earlier experience of fair tests, groups of four were given time to come up with a proposal of how to proceed with the test, then time to present this to others. Shared thinking ironed out issues and allowed all to proceed effectively.
Thinking is supported by language and language is further developed by articulating thinking. Talking things through is the means by which children’s understanding of their own learning is deepened.
Science with a year four class entailed a challenge to set up a fair test to find the best paper to send a parcel through the post. Having had earlier experience of fair tests, groups of four were given time to come up with a proposal of how to proceed with the test, then time to present this to others. Shared thinking ironed out issues and allowed all to proceed effectively.
Thinking is supported by language and language is further developed by articulating thinking. Talking things through is the means by which children’s understanding of their own learning is deepened.
The fundamentals of education; thinking and talking, then refining thinking?
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