1. 1 AREA OF LEARNING DAY 2 Environment and Society: Geography Feb-Mar 2008

2. 2 Leading Learning 1November 2005 Leading Learning 2April/May 2006 Curriculum Leader Day 1September/October 2006 Curriculum Leader Day 2November/December 2006 Area of Learning Day 1February/April 2007 Leading Learning 3September 2007 Curriculum Leader Day 3October 2007 CCEA Principals Assessment ConferenceNovember/December 2007 Area of Learning Day 2February – March 2008 Co-ordinating the Assessment and Reporting of the Cross Curricular Skills Summer Term 2008

3. 3 COURSE OBJECTIVES 1.To reflect on practice and identify opportunities for skills development. 2.To deepen understanding of how the development of pupils’ thinking skills and personal capabilities enhances learning. 3.To deepen understanding of how the development of pupils’ skills in Communication, Using Mathematics and Using ICT enhances learning.

4. 4 PROGRAMME 09.30Welcome and Introduction 09.45Session 1: Reflection on Yr 8 Implementation to date 10.30 COFFEE 11.00 Session 2: Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities 12.00Session 3: Cross-Curricular Skill 1 - Communication 12.30 LUNCH 13.30Session 4: Cross-Curricular Skill 2 – Using Maths 14.00Session 5: Cross-Curricular Skill 3 – Using ICT 14.45Personal Evaluation and Next Steps Course Evaluation 15.15Close

5. 5 At the heart of the Northern Ireland Curriculum lies an explicit emphasis on the development of skills and capabilities for life-long learning and for contributing to society.

6. Curriculum Aim The Northern Ireland Curriculum aims to empower young people to achieve their potential and to make informed and responsible decisions throughout their lives. and to make informed and responsible decisions throughout their lives. Curriculum Objectives To develop the young person as an individual To develop the young person as a contributor to society To develop the young person as a contributor to the economy & environment TheArts English (And Irish In Irish medium schools) with Media Education Environment & Society Mathematics with Financial Capability Modern Languages Physical Education Science & Technology Religious Education Areas of Learning ACROSS Promoting/Encouraging Learning Experiences Investigating & problem-solving linked to other curriculum areas relevant & enjoyable media rich skills integrated active & hands on offers choice Challenging & engaging supportive environment culturally diverse positive reinforcement varied to suit learning style on-going reflection enquiry based INFUSING Cross-Curricular Skills Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities Communication Using Mathematics Using ICT Managing Information Thinking, Problem Solving, Decision Making Being Creative Working with Others Self Management

7. 7 CROSS CURRICULAR SKILLS All subject strands/Areas of Learning have a statutory requirement to provide opportunities for pupils to acquire and develop skills (CCSs) of Communication, Using Mathematics and Using ICT. It is the responsibility of every teacher in every subject to ensure that the CCSs are promoted and developed as part of learning and teaching within their subject. The CCSs are clearly visible in the Statutory Learning Outcomes for each subject at Key Stage 3.

8. 8 Session 1 Reflection

9. 9 What changes in approaches to learning have you tried and how did this work in practice? How did these changes impact on: – Pupil learning? (evidence) –Teacher strategies? –Departmental planning?

10. 10 COFFEE

11. 11 SKILLS AND CAPABILITIES Developing skills and capabilities enables pupils to: learn how to learn; manage their own emotions; interact effectively with others, and therefore enhances the chances of success in all aspects of life.

12. 12 Session 2 TS & PC

13. 13 Thinking skills enable pupils to learn how to learn by helping pupils: go beyond the acquisition of knowledge in order to deepen their understanding and apply ideas, generate new possibilities and make decisions as well as plan, monitor and evaluate their progress; experiment with ideas, take initiative, learn from mistakes, work collaboratively and become more self-directed in their learning. Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities

14. Managing Information Asking, accessing, selecting, recording, integrating, communicating Ask focused questions Plan and set goals, break task into sub-tasks Use own and others’ ideas to locate sources of information Select, classify, compare and evaluate information Select most appropriate method for a task Use a range of methods for collating, recording and representing information Communicating with a sense of audience and purpose Thinking, Problem Solving, Decision Making Activating learning, deepening understanding, coping with challenges Sequence, order, classify, make comparisons Make predictions, examine evidence, distinguish fact from opinion Make links between cause and effect Justify methods, opinions and conclusions Generate possible solutions, try out alternative approaches, evaluate outcomes Examine options, weigh up pros and cons Use different types of questions Make connections between learning in different contexts Being Creative Imagining, generating, inventing, taking risks Seek out questions to explore and problems to solve Experiment with ideas and questions Make new connections between ideas/information Learn from and value other people’s ideas Make ideas real by experimenting with different designs, actions, outcomes Challenge the routine method Value the unexpected or surprising See opportunities in mistakes and failures Take risks for learning Working with Others Being collaborative, being sensitive to others’ feelings, being fair and responsible Listen actively and share opinions Develop routines of turn-taking, sharing and co-operating Give and respond to feedback Understand how actions and words affect others Adapt behaviour and language to suit different people and situations Take personal responsibility for work with others and evaluate own contribution to the group Be fair Respect the views and opinions of others, reaching agreements using negotiation and compromise Suggest ways of improving their approach to working collaboratively Self Management Knowing strengths and weaknesses, setting goals and targets, managing and regulating self Be aware of personal strengths, limitations and interests Set personal targets and review them Manage behaviour in a range of situations Organise and plan how to go about a task Focus, sustain attention and persist with tasks Review learning and some aspect that might be improved Learn ways to manage own time Seek advice when necessary Compare own approach with others and in different contexts THINKING SKILLS AND PERSONAL CAPABILITIES

15. 15 Lesson Activity Energy for the Future: Sustainable Energy Choices for Northern Ireland

16. 16 Debrief Which specific descriptor of the skill did you focus on in this activity? How did the activity contribute to the development of this skill? How does this skill contribute to learning in geography? What evidence do you have for your answers? How might the activity be improved?

17. 17 Cross-Curricular Skills

18. 18 The Cross-Curricular Skills of Communication, Using Mathematics and Using ICT are the bedrock skills through which young people access knowledge and develop understanding. Specific knowledge and techniques may be acquired initially in identified areas of learning/subjects, but an enhanced emphasis must be placed on the effective development of skills in other curriculum contexts. Cross Curricular Skills

19. 19 Session 3 Communication

20. 20 COMMUNICATION Communication is central to the whole curriculum and to success in life. The modes of communication include talking and listening, reading and writing. Effective communication also includes non-verbal modes of communication, wider literacy and the use of multi-media and ICT technologies.

21. 21 Across the curriculum, at a level appropriate to their ability, pupils should be enabled to develop skills in: TALKING & LISTENING Pupils should be enabled to: Listen to and take part in discussions… Contribute comments, ask questions … Communicate information, ideas … Speak clearly and structure talk … Adapt ways of speaking to audience … Use non-verbal methods to express ideas …

22. 22 Assumptions We tend to believe that the teacher’s job is to teach, i.e. TALK. We also tend to believe that language acquisition and development is an ongoing, natural process and that the job of school is to teach READING & WRITING. The result of this is passive, sometimes even “disabled” learners

23. 23 Research It is through speech that children learn to organise their thinking and focus their ideas. (Lyle, 1993) Oral Language is one of the most important means of learning and acquiring knowledge. (Lemke, 1989) In the development of oral communication skills, critical thinking and reasoning abilities are developed along the way. (Aiex,1990)

24. 24 Effective Group Talking & Listening Establish timelines Appoint roles (leader, reporter, researcher, timekeeper, recorder,) Allow time for individual thinking before sharing with others. Outline expectations for processes and products i.e. clear learning outcomes

25. 25 Effective Group Talking & Listening The teacher needs to explain, clarify and model each role within the group and get the pupils used to what is expected from each role Pupils need to be taught the kind of language that can be used in each role so that everyone gets a chance to speak and be HEARD

26. 26 The Role of the Teacher as Listener & Monitor The teacher should only intervene to facilitate the discussion so that productive learning through talk occurs. If the teacher “takes over” the pupils will stop talking and the real learning stops. Useful ways of moving the discussion along can be –“has anyone here ever..?” –“What would happen if…?” –“Does anyone have another point of view..?” –“Can you explain reasons for that..?” –“Stop for two minutes and jot down some arguments for…”

27. 27 Normal Classroom Activity The teacher sets the tone for group talking and listening. If the activity is well organised with clear learning intentions, time-limited and with structured feedback then pupils see it as a serious learning tool as opposed to a break in normal classroom activity.

28. 28 Debrief Which specific descriptor of the skill did you focus on in the lesson? How did the activity contribute to the development of this skill? How does this skill contribute to the learning in your area of learning/subject? What evidence do you have for your answers? How might the activity be improved?

29. 29

30. 30 Session 4 Using Mathematics

31. 31 USING MATHEMATICS Using Mathematics focuses on how pupils apply their mathematical knowledge and skills appropriately in a variety of contexts. Ideally these should be relevant real-life situations that require a mathematical dimension. Therefore, the opportunities should address not just what pupils know, but also how they are able to use their knowledge appropriately and accurately

32. 32 Living Graph Activity

33. 33 Debrief Which specific descriptor of the skill did you focus on in this activity? How did the activity contribute to the development of this skill? How does this skill contribute to the learning in your area of learning/subject? What evidence do you have for your answers? How might the activity be improved?

34. 34 Session 5 Using ICT

35. 35 USING ICT Across the curriculum, at a level appropriate to their ability, pupils should be enabled to develop skills to: Explore Express Exchange Evaluate Exhibit

36. 36 ICT activity Identify and share examples of ICT strategies you have used to develop the five Es in Geography

37. 37 Debrief How does ICT improve the learning in Geography? What aspects of the five Es of ICT need further development in Geography?

38. 38 Personal Evaluation What have I learned as a result of today? What enabled me to learn? How will I take my learning forward?

39. 39 Next Steps What is our next step as a department? How can we ensure that we develop practice within our department? How can we benefit from good practice in other areas of the curriculum?