Playing the learning power game: Preparing for training session 1.

This resource is designed to help you:

• make the most of the up-coming staff training about building your students’ learning power
• come to the training having done a bit of preparatory thinking
• feel prepared to become engaged in and enjoy our first online training session
• be confident to take on the post session tasks that you need to try out before session 2 (see 3 below)
• find out more about the programme you will be taking part in over the coming 12 months (see 5 below)

Shaped by research

Several  strands of research have strongly influenced the development of Building Learning Power.

Professor Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of flow, a state of focused attention in which one is wholly engaged in learning  has been important in developing aspects of BLP.

Lauren Resnick  has been a pioneer in advocating the central importance of habits of mind as the core component of what it is to be intelligent.

Professor Martin Seligman’s concept of ‘learned helplessness’ has done much to shape understanding of what it is to be resilient and resourceful in learning.

Art Costa’s work on ‘habits of mind’ (HoM) is the closest cousin to BLP, offering advice to teachers about structuring their teaching around a list of 16 ‘habits of mind.

Questionnaire

The best place to start working on learning power is with yourself ,so this brief questionnaire is about what you believe about good learners. Mull over the statements and indicate whether you broadly agree or disagree with them.

Things to think about;

• Think about how you teach in relation to each statement.
• To what extent does your teaching style embody what you say about good learning?
• Do you (sometimes) act as if you believed something different from what you say you believe?( This can be a bit uncomfortable!)

Resource book

Please download and print a copy of the Resource Book you will need for online session 1.

Bring the Resource Book with you to the session with your name on it…we have found people don’t like to lose their copy when they have carefully recorded information in it.

Session objectives

Our first session is designed to achieve the following objectives;

• become aware of key learning behaviours
• use learning behaviours effectively
• become aware of why learning behaviours are useful
• gain an understanding of how behaviours grow

Gathering group feedback

Activity 1 At the end of the activity please discuss and feedback on;

• the sort of ideas your pupils have about what good learners do?
• which 3 ideas are most prominent?
• what might that imply?
• why might children have these ideas?
• what might cause/influence these beliefs?
• as teachers, how are your beliefs about learning different?
• what’s the standout difference?
• why do pupils’ views differ from yours?
• what else surprises the group?
• how might teachers’ change things?

Activity 2 At the end of the activity please discuss and feedback on;

• How the group observers have ‘coloured in’ the wheel showing learning behaviours they thought had been used
• Compare this pattern with the one shown by the tutor
• Which learning behaviour did you use most?
• Which weren’t used at all?
• Did people spot themselves using all the main ones?
• Which ones do you think you missed?
• Key question...if you were only able to allocate 2 behaviours to this activity which 2 would they be?

This rich discussion will serve to show the importance of understanding, using and developing learning behaviours.

Post session task 1

Getting to know your students as learners

• Use pages 10-13 in your Resource Book
  • Think about pupils you know well and fill names into the sheets. This will just help you to attach a real student’s behaviour to an abstract learning behaviour. It will make the behaviours come alive for you.
  • Copy these sheets and complete them again as you come to know your pupils better over the first few weeks of term. Keep an eye open for any changes in their behaviours.

Post session task 2

Becoming aware of  how your curriculum supports learning power

• Use page 14 in the Resource Book.
• When planning your next few lessons use this wheel to remind you of facets of the foundational four learning behaviours. Look carefully at the words in each segment. They are descriptions of the aspects of the four behaviours.
• Then, with lesson plans in hand, ask yourself ‘Where am I expecting/supporting students to’:
  • act/behave like this?
  • Do I just expect this behaviour  without mentioning it?
  • Am I specifically planning its use into how learning is happening
  • Does the behaviour need supporting
  • Which of these behaviours do I seem to be expect or support frequently?
  • Which behaviours seem to be getting little or no use?
  • Why might this be?
  • Where do I need to place greater effort
• Over time you will begin the design your curriculum such that you students will have ample opportunities to develop all the facets of important learning, character-building, behaviours.

The course has 7 sections:

1. What do we mean by learning power?
2. Classroom relationships
3. Talking about learning power
4. Designing learning powered lessons
5. Celebrating learning power
6. How are our classrooms and our learners developing?
7. Where next?