1. What is the Skills framework?
Why develop thinking skills and assessment for learning in the classroom?
ACCAC
SMT pack 2009

2. What is the Skills framework?
The school curriculum is underpinned by the non-
Statutory Skills framework, 3-19.
It provides guidance in continuity and progression in:
Developing thinking
Developing communication
Developing ICT
Developing number,
becomes a requirement where stated in the
subject Orders.
The Skills Framework provides the skeleton on which the revised subject orders hang. Although non-statutory, the Skills Framework becomes a requirement where stated in the subject orders and therefore embeds skills at the heart of the appropriate learning contexts chosen.
SMT pack 2009

3. Principles and Processes?
Activity – Match the description!
How well do you know and understand the Skills framework?
Match the key vocabulary of the Skills framework with its description!
Card sort activity (DT and AfL pairs definitions. doc). Looks to explore how well the terminology of the Skills framework is used and understood. N.B. the definitions are correctly matched in the Word document already and will therefore need to be cut and mixed before use!! Before the card sort is used, you may wish to ask colleagues to work in pairs to traffic light the keywords (given separately in the Word document) in view of their current understanding. Then jigsaw pairs to form groups of 4 and take feedback. This may give you a better understanding of the level of support required. A good opportunity to model metacognition and principles such as Activating prior knowledge skills and understanding also!
SMT pack 2009

4. Skills Framework deconstructed
areas
In each skill area, ‘processes’ describe the broad repertoire that a person should develop over a period of time to use in and interact with all aspects of life. It is critical that colleagues see the skill areas as interacting and supporting one another. The skill areas are not mutually exclusive and independent of one another. As colleagues become more confident in working with the Skills framework they will begin to see that principles are interlinked between and across skill areas as well as within a skill area. The essential features of processes and principles are deconstructed for developing thinking in the following slides. A similar exercise is done for DN, DC and DICT also.
processes
SMT pack 2009

5. Developing thinking processes
Why develop thinking skills and assessment for learning in the classroom?
PLAN
DEVELOP
METACOGNITION
The processes of developing thinking i.e. plan, develop, reflect should not be seen as a set style of learning and teaching. They typify the processes that the learner will go through in order to progress thinking and therefore should be used flexibly. Most tasks will require learners to use plan, develop and reflect interchangeably as they carry it out. In this respect, just as skills areas are interlinked, processes within them are similarly interlinked. Learning is therefore not circular as portrayed above (nor linear as displayed in the ‘portrait’ format of Skills framework) but spiral with plan, develop and reflect interlinking across the learning.
Metacognition is the central and critical element as evidenced by both research and practice. It encourages ‘hidden’ learning to become visible so that learning can be linked and transferred to other contexts. It is crucial that metacognition should happen throughout a task and not be consigned to a plenary. Encouraging and supporting metacognition is often considered by teachers to be the most difficult aspect in this pedagogy. Therefore learners (and teachers!) will require considerable modelling and scaffolding of ideas, including metacognitive language to help describe thinking and learning. These ideas are addressed in Module 4 - What is metacognition? as well as in the ‘How’ booklet.
REFLECT
ACCAC
SMT pack 2009
NOT a 3 part lesson!

6. Developing thinking SMT pack 2009 process cells principles
Excerpt from Skills framework for Developing thinking showing how principles, processes and cells are displayed. Consideration of how progression is described across the cells for each principle is given later in slides 12 and 14.
cells
principles
AfL is mechanism to aid progress

7. Plan Develop Reflect Thinking Principles SMT pack 2009
Asking questions
Generating and developing ideas
Reviewing outcomes and success criteria
Activating prior knowledge, skills and understanding
Valuing errors and unexpected outcomes
Reviewing the process/method
Gathering information
Entrepreneurial thinking
Evaluate own learning and thinking
Determining the process/method and strategy
Thinking about cause and effect and making inferences
Linking and lateral thinking
Determining success criteria
Forming opinions and making decisions
Thinking logically and seeking patterns
Considering evidence, information and ideas
Monitoring progress
Thinking principles (ie. ‘types’ of thinking) from the Skills framework. Initially, in the development programme, lead teachers are asked to choose principles to trial from a shorter list – in order that they are not overwhelmed. The criteria for this shorter list was to consider principles which had greater and more frequent cross curricular coverage within Key Stages 2 and 3 primarily.
SMT pack 2009

8. Assessment for Learning - processes and principles
Assessment for learning principles
Improving quality of answers
Target Setting
On-going lesson assessment
Peer discussion
Immediacy of feedback
Uses of summative assessment
Active involvement of all learners
Questioning
Providing feedback
to learners
Peer and
Self-Assessment
AfL principles and process areas. From the original King’s College work, sharing learning intentions has been subsumed into the other three areas. Again, metacognition is the critical element of visualising and deconstructing learning. Links should be evident with all other skill areas, AfL being the mechanism of promoting progress throughout the skill areas.
** Metacognition is crucial element in learners’
and teachers’ understanding and using processes
SMT pack 2009

9. Developing number Use mathematical information Interpret and present
SMT pack 2009
Using numbers
Measuring
Gathering information
Use mathematical
information
Interpret and present
findings
Calculate
Principles and processes in Developing number
Talking about and explaining work
Comparing data
Recording and interpreting data
and presenting findings
Using the number system
Using a variety of methods

10. Developing communication
Reading
Oracy
Developing information
and ideas
Presenting information
locating, selecting and using
information using reading strategies
responding to what has been read
Wider communication
skills
Writing
Principles and processes in Developing communication
Organising ideas and information
Writing accurately
Communicating ideas and emotions
Communicating information
SMT pack 2009

11. Developing ICT Creating and presenting Finding and developing
information and ideas
Finding and developing
Information and ideas
Principles and processes in Developing ICT
SMT pack 2009

12. How is progression described?
Initially linked to broad expectations at key
educational stages.
Final columns relate to Key Skills qualifications.
Framework is shown as linear for clarity only.
Progression is cumulative and linked to
increasing challenge of tasks.
Challenge of tasks increases from left to right by moving from:
concrete to abstract
simple to complex
personal to bigger picture
familiar to unfamiliar.
SMT pack 2009

13. Skills framework progression – graphical representation
SMT pack 2009
Capability in
thinking
development
Learning is cumulative
and spiral.
Overall direction
of travel over time
Increasing complexity
of task may result in
learners ‘slipping back’
on a principle.
Consolidation and
transfer of principles
in different contexts
required for progression
OPTIONAL! If you want to keep progression to a very simple model only and do not wish to delve too deeply into how the context and challenge of a task is linked to progression, use slides 12 and 14 only.
Providing a definitive level for ‘thinking’ is not possible in the traditional sense of a linear progression, as the complexity of thinking is directly influenced by the level of challenge and contexts in which the challenges are set. In this manner, it is perfectly possible for a learner of 5 years old to demonstrate evaluative thought along the specific row (principle) of the Skills framework. This does not mean they are an accomplished thinker across the board.  It simply means that they have demonstrated capability within the context of the (probable) limited challenge they have been set, which is linked to the appropriate Range of the curriculum.  In order for them to make further progress, the level of demand of the challenge needs to be increased. This could well result in only being able at that point to demonstrate the first 2 cells (boxes in the row).  This doesn't mean that the learner has regressed in their ability to think. It simply shows how capability is directly linked to level of challenge of a task. Therefore, to improve capability, learners need to be exposed to new challenges as and when they are ready. The Skills framework should not be considered as describing a linear progression. As it is inherently linked with the demand of a context, it is better considered as a ‘spiral’ or ‘funnel’ as shown. Increasing the level of demand, ‘widens’ the width of the funnel and therefore it is quite likely that the level of capability (the ‘vertical’ height) may decrease. The teacher mediates the learning by setting learning opportunities which widen the range of learning and therefore level of challenge of a task. The example described above corresponding to the 5 year old learner in a limited demand context would be represented as a narrow, long funnel whereas a more demanding context would result in a wider, shorter funnel if less progress in capability were observed.
It is perfectly acceptable that learners would continually alter their position within the ‘funnel’ and thereby appear to move up and down the cells for a particular principle on the Skills framework.
Demand of challenge linked to range (context) of learning
Progression (and capability of learner) linked to complexity
of task within appropriate contexts.

14. How is progression described?
Learners progress from:
needing support to more independent working
listening and interacting with others to choosing to work with others as a deliberate strategy.
Arrows indicate more challenging tasks are needed for further progression.
Assessment for learning supports learners in understanding
where they are on a progression, where they need to next go
and how to get there.
SMT pack 2009

15. Plan Thinking principle Suggested teaching strategy/tool SMT pack 2009
Activating prior knowledge, skills and understanding
Concept maps
Concept Cartoons
KWL/QuADS grids
Mind Mapping
Odd One Out
Determining the approach/method
Brainstorming including placemat activities
Sequencing Activities
Snowball Challenge/Post it challenge
Determining success criteria
Think-pair-share
Traffic Lighting
Example of suggested tools/strategies to exemplify principles. Key point to stress is that it is not the use of the strategy which is important as how it is used so that learners understand the principle it is being used to promote. It is critical that teachers plan for the principle rather than the strategy. Also, the same strategy/tool can be used for one or more principles depending on how they are used and amended.
SMT pack 2009

16. AfL – questioning Assessment for learning principle
Suggested teaching strategy/tool
Improving quality of answers
Big questions
Collaboration on formulating questions
Finding questions learners get wrong
Increasing thinking/wait time
Peer discussion
Group responses
Phone a friend
Think-pair-share
Active involvement of all pupils
Choice of answers
No hands up
Setting ground rules
Whiteboards
Examples of some common strategies/tools used for questioning.
SMT pack 2009

17. Fundamental principles
Intelligence is modifiable.
Belief that every learner can improve.
Deep understanding is more important than superficial learning.
Learners need explicit strategies for how to learn.
Challenge and interest can lead to motivation.
Participation is valued.
Fundamental principles which underpin the rationale for developing thinking and assessment for learning. These can be used to support and inform pedagogy used to promote DT and AfL. They summarise the essential beliefs which underpin both DT and AfL – continued on next slide.
SMT pack 2009

18. Fundamental principles
Collaboration (learning with others) will allow learners to take greater educational risks and take their learning forward.
Metacognition (thinking about thinking) is at the heart of the learning and teaching process.
Learners need feedback to evaluate their progress in learning.
Skills and knowledge must be transferred both within the school and in the wider world.
Fundamental principles which underpin the rationale for developing thinking and assessment for learning. These can be used to support and inform pedagogy used to promote DT and AfL. They summarise the essential beliefs which underpin both DT and AfL.
SMT pack 2009

19. Characteristics of developing thinking and assessment for learning
Characteristics observed in lessons which focus on developing thinking and assessment for learning principles. The Venn diagram shows that the two initiatives are inextricably linked so that the development of one should influence the other. These common characteristics set the ethos, expectations and classroom climate required to promote DT and AfL. From these characteristics, it is possible for the teacher to develop their pedagogical style to encourage these characteristics of effective learning.
Metacognition is at the heart of learning – reflection
of what has been learned and how it has been learned
SMT pack 2009

20. Assessment for Learning
Characteristics
Characteristics
What are my
next steps?
Assessment for Learning
Cells
Ethos
Tools/strategies
to exemplify
How did I
get here?
Diagram summarises the relationship of developing thinking with the Skills framework and the purpose and position of AfL as a vehicle of supporting progress. It looks in simple terms how tools and strategies are used to exemplify what the principles look like in practice to aid and develop their understanding. The fundamental principles – slides 17 and 18 – describe what underpins DT and AfL whilst the common characteristics observed in lessons focusing on these issues create the ethos and classroom climate which is required to support effective learning. Pedagogy to bring about these characteristics can then be developed.
Where am I?
SMT pack 2009