Students as learning partners @ Gosford High School

Session 1: About the ‘Students as Learning Partners’ program at Gosford High School; Expectations, Perspectives and Skills

1.1 Aim and benefits of the Program

Students as learning partners supporting and providing appropriate feedback for increased classroom success.

The program is about______________________________________

1.2 Benefits for students of the program

Students as Learning Partners Models

‘Students as lesson observers’ is a Six stage process:

1. Training.

2. Agreement.

3. Focus (teacher led).

4. Agreement of the date and class to observe.

5. Observation.

6. Feedback.

What we would like achieved

“Students consult with teachers on a focus and then they are invited into the classroom to observe

the learning, based around the focus.

A non-judgmental dialogue takes place between staff and student and possible ways forward are

considered”

1.3: Expectations as Lesson Observers

1.4: What may be the barriers to the program

ICE BREAKER ACTIVITES:

Ice breaker activity 1: Two truths and a tale (humour)

Each person is to makes three statements about themselves- one statement is false. Others in the groups are to guess the tale

Perspectives:

Ice Breaker Activity 2: Mix and meet:

Each person is to take a small handful of m&m's. They are not to eat them.

Assign a different meaning to each color, blue= family, green=school, yellow=friends...

However many m&ms they have in their hands corresponds to how many facts they have to tell.

Ie. if they have 3 blue, they would have to say three facts about their family.

This game can also be played with toilet paper. They rip off how much they would normally 'use', and then they have to say a fact about them per sheet of toilet paper they have.

Ice breaker Activity 3: Teeth:

Everyone sits in a circle. Each player chooses a fruit or vegetable. Player A says their fruit/veggie, then the player's fruit/vegie that they want to pass it on to... ie Player A says "Strawberry strawberry, broccoli broccoli" player B says "broccoli broccoli, carrot carrot"... and so on.

What makes this game interesting is that you can't show your teeth at any point(which you do by pulling your lips over your teeth). If you do happen to show your teeth and get caught by anyone, you alert the group by screaming "teeth teeth" and flapping your arms at the player like wings (making sure you don't show your teeth in the process!). Depending on how you want to play, you can do elimination or points lost when teeth are shown.

If this gets too easy, get them to grab their tongue or something else to make it harder.

Perspectives and empathy:

1.5: How might Teachers feel being observed?

1.6: How may you feel about discussing your observation with staff?

1.7: What makes a good lesson?

Think of a time in class when the lesson worked for you…….you felt good about your learning and you enjoyed the lesson….

Discuss in groups what qualities in the classroom make a good learning environment. Record your answers below

1.8: Rank the following qualities from 1 through to 11.

List generated by Homegroup O05

A sense of humour

A high level of teacher and student interaction

Equality in the classroom

Constructive feedback to students – class and individual

The opportunity to create individual work

Listening to interesting stories and examples

Learn how to construct an answer

A greater level of student involvement in the lesson

The teacher reworking student answers

Exam question practice

High level of relevance to the work in the classroom

1.9: Skills needed as lesson observers

Session 2: Ethics and the language of feedback

Full group Ice breaker Activity 4:

Line yourselves up in:Order of birth months from

January 1st through to December 31st

Feedback: Feedback should be constructive, identify strengths, areas for improvement and encourage questions to aid reflection

Using the right language to construct meaningful feedback is crucial – why?

• What words or phrases are suitable to use?

• What words or phrases are not suitable to use?

2.1: Refer to 5.3 language of feedback

‘constructive feedback’ and ‘improvements’ and ‘reflection’

Try these sentence beginners- a strategy for effective feedback!

• I think…..

• ………….was effective because…….

• A positive feature was…………….

• I like the way……………

• I wonder what would have happened if…………..

• You could target/try…………..

• It might have helped to……………..

• What would you do differently next time………..

2.2: Ethics: Using the cards provided 5.1

• Work in pairs or small groups to discuss the ethic statements

• Place the cards in their order of importance

• Use sheet 5.2 to write down your agreed statements to form your code of conduct for your research observations

• How will the code of conduct affect your observations?

2.3: Agreeing a code of conduct

1._______________________________________________________________

2._______________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________

4._______________________________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________________________

6. ______________________________________________________________

7. ______________________________________________________________

8. ______________________________________________________________

9. ______________________________________________________________

10. _____________________________________________________________

Session 3: Time to observe, reflect and give feedback

Use the following recording sheets for the role play:

3.1 Role play scripts: Five students required for this role play

This form offers a quick way of recording information by using a tally chart. In this case, the example is about recording the number of times and ways the teacher praises/rewards male and female students. You can then easily compare the results.

Use of praise and rewards in the lesson: tally chartTeacher: Observer:

Group: Male Female Lesson:Lesson objectives:

Outline of activities (or refer to lesson plan attached):

Teacher toMale Female

Individual praise (public)(oral – addressing whole class)

Individual praise (private)(oral – individual conversation)

Awarding merits

Comment in exercise book

Comment in student’s planner/diary

Record of observation sheet 1:

This form offers a quick way of recording information by using a tally chart. In this case, the example is about recording the number of times and ways the teacher praises/rewards male and female students. You can then easily compare the results.

Use of praise and rewards in the lesson: tally chart

Teacher: Observer:

Group: Lesson:Lesson objectives:

Outline of activities (or refer lesson plan attached):

TallyIndividual praise (public)(oral – addressing whole class)

Individual praise (private)(oral – individual conversation)

Awarding merits

Comment in book

Comment in student’s planner/diary

Record of observation sheet 2:

When you feel more confident about recording your observations, you might want to narrow the focus of the observation through agreement with your teacher and look at one aspect in more detail. Here, the use of abbreviations might be helpful in making quick notes. This form looks at how students are grouped for each activity.

Teacher: Observer:

Group: Lesson:

Lesson objectives:

Summary of activities (or refer to lesson plan attached):Refer also to sketch of room layout/seating plan

Agreed focus: use of grouping

I = Individual PR = Pair/random PG = Pair/gender PA = Pair/abilityPS = Pair/seating GR = Group/random GG = Group/gender GA = Group/ability GS = Group/seating C = Class

Time(minutes)

Activity Grouping

0-15

15-30

30-45

45-60

3.2: DVD of a lesson observation:

Record of observation sheet 3:

This form breaks down one aspect of teaching and learning - asking questions - and provides the opportunity to use a tally chart to record the different types of questioning used by the teacher.

Teacher: Observer:

Group: Lesson:Lesson objectives:

Outline of activities:

Agreed focus: teacher use of questions (assessment for learning)

Question type/strategy TallyClosed whole class

Closed individual

Open whole class

Open individual

Think time less than 10 seconds

Think time more than 10 seconds

Teacher corrects/provides answer

Student invited to correct/provide answer

Rephrases closed question

Rephrases open question

This form develops the idea of using questions, but enables you to get more detail about whether the questioning is directed at male or female students.

Session 4: Reflection and Evaluation

Icebreaker activity 5: Say the colour not the word

This activity will refine your skills in reflecting and evaluating

Full group Ice breaker Activity 6:

Celebrity Heads mania:

Grab a whole bunch of sticky labels or masking tape and write the names of celebrities on the non-sticky side. Then, without showing them the name, stick a label on the back of each person in your youth group.Get everyone to mingle around and ask other players "yes or no" questions about who they are - so something like celebrity heads. Only 1 question can be asked to another player at a time. It's basically an easy way to get kids to mingle with each other.Once a player thinks they have solved it, they can tell anyone who they think they are and if they are correct they can remove their sticky label and go and relax on the side. First player to guess their person wins!

4.1: Let us know your thoughts!

Reflect on today

4.2: Where to from here:

My Plans:

4.3: Let us know your thoughts!

The evaluation form:

1. Aim and the model

excellent very good good fair

2. Icebreaker activities

excellent very good good fair

3. What makes a good lesson

excellent very good good fair

4. Code of conduct

excellent very good good fair

5. Recording observations

excellent very good good fair

6. Your opinion of your training today

excellent very good good fair

7. Reflection: what could we do better next time?

excellent very good good fair

Comments:

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