Year 6: Connecting Learning in The Revised Curriculum Professional Development Day 4 ‘Learning from… and with, others’

Learning Intentions Understand that our planning for the Northern Ireland Curriculum will evolve over time Know how to go about planning for connected learning Know what to consider when planning for children’s learning needs

Programme 9.30Welcome and introduction Sharing early experiences of the Revised Curriculum Connecting Learning - The Northern Ireland Curriculum Document 10.30COFFEE Planning for Learning – Using the ICLs LUNCH 1.15Involving Children in the Planning Process Topic Planning time Next Steps Plenary and Evaluation 3.00 CLOSE

What do we mean by Connected Learning What do we mean by Connected Learning? Connected Learning is all about the connections that children actually make in their learning, not necessarily the ones we make in our planning. So…it’s vital to evaluate carefully to see how well the programme delivered connected learning. It’s worth doing this with colleagues! However, you can enhance connectedness from the outset, by providing a stage at which the children are involved in planning.

Reflection: What I’ve tried Important… Useful Unclear… Confusing Questions I’d ask now

Sharing Key Learning Points Sharing Key Learning Points: Personal Reflection… Learning from others

The Revised Northern Ireland Curriculum… A practical overview

I deas for C onnected L earning ICLs Thematic Units Existing school plans/programmes Northern Ireland Curriculum guidance ‘ Children learn best when learning is connected.’ (Introduction to Northern Ireland Curriculum, pg 10)

Years 3&4 (to come) School’s Cool Houses and Homes Safe and Sound Let’s Celebrate Bugs, Birds and Beasts Whatever the Weather Years 4&5 Journeys Mighty Me Once Upon a Time Life in the Recent Past Years 6&7 Wonderful World Eco-Warriors Needs and Wants Thinking Through the Past In the News Around the World Years 5&6 World in Motion The Blue Planet A Journey Through the Year Where I Live I deas for C onnected L earning

Using the ICLs Not a replacement for current school developed resources – they will probably augment and help to link together what you already have… But they may also prompt new ideas to develop your own teaching programmes… However, in any case, the real issue is – what are the learning needs and opportunities for the children in your care!

Coffeebreak

A case study of a P6 teacher’s topics in Term History Vikings:- - Viking Homeland, -Viking Homes, -Viking Women, -Viking Raiders, -Viking Settlers GeographyScience/Technology Europe:- - Mapwork – Locating home town within Europe. -Locating Europe within the world. -Exploring the countries that make up Europe. -Focusing on a particular country within Europe. Forces and Energy:- -Exploring energy sources in the home and school. -Find out sources of energy in a variety of models and machines. -How forces can affect the movement and shape of objects -Friction -Renewable vs non – renewable energy

WORLD AROUND US Science & Technology Design, make and test different sails for Viking ships. Explain why birds visit Ireland from other parts of Europe. Geography Understanding our location within Europe. Understand how place influences the nature of people’s lives. Know the features and variations of a range of places in Europe. Know ways in which we are interdependent. History Understand the reasons for the movement of people in the past – Viking settlers in Ireland and Irish emigrants. PDMU  Know that similarities and differences exist between cultures.  Know that different things contribute to our identity, including our membership of different groups.  Recognising how injustice and inequality affect people’s lives.  Exploring how the media present information. Thinking Skills & Personal Capabilities Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making Making predictions, examining evidence, distinguishing fact from opinion. Making links between cause and effect. Working with Others Respecting the views and opinions of others, reaching agreements using negotiation and compromise. The Arts Music Compare Irish musical traditions with other European folk forms. Drama Know how to use dramatic skills appropriate to news presentation. Art Know that information can be gathered by examining works of art, design and craft. Understand that art can be used to reflect meanings and values from different cultures. Communication  Understand the process involved in planning, creating and presenting a news programme.  Use a wide range of sources to locate and make use of relevant information.  Talk for different purposes using a widening vocabulary.  Structure and sequence talk to take account of audience.  Explore and develop ideas and respond to others’ points of view.  Present and communicate work in a range of forms and a variety of ways. Using ICT  Know about Internet safety.  Research, select, edit, organise and present information/assets using a range of digital sources.  Communicate and develop ideas by creating and editing text onscreen, combining this with appropriate selected images and/or sound.  Use contemporary digital methods to communicate, share and exchange information with peers. Using Mathematics  Within purposeful contexts identify, collect and record data.  Find information from a range of graphs and diagrams and draw conclusions.  Use the 12 and 24-hour clock.  Use the simple percentages in everyday use. Physical Education  Be able to perform simple dances based on different dances from around Europe.  Be able to experiment with a wide range of actions, patterns, speed, tension and continuity when working on their own, with a partner and in a group. OUR PLACE IN EUROPE (linked to the ‘Around the World’ ICL)

Getting to know the resources for planning Work with colleagues to produce an outline topic plan. Use the resources you have brought with you as well as the ICLs provided. Using the ICLs… 1 Scan the front cover, which gives you:  ‘Focus’ for the entire ICL topic  Outlines for each of the four key areas  The Arts  PDMU  WAU  PE 2. Inside the booklet, in each of the four key areas, check out the ‘Learning Intentions’ and ‘Suggested Activities’. 3. Check the ‘Skills’ section at the back of the booklet (TSPC etc)

MEDIUM TERM PLANNING Why do you plan? What are the key elements of your current medium term planning?

PLANNING: key considerations Almost certain: Learning Intentions Learning Activities Resources Evaluation Maybe: Core Success Criteria Assessment Key Questions/Vocabulary Whole Curriculum Skills Teaching Strategies Classroom Organisation Differentiation Which ones do you use? Which ones will you use?

Personal Targets Session 2: Connected Planning Things to think further about:Things to try out:

Lunch

DVD: Observing Practice A teacher guides her P7 class in constructing a shared plan for learning

DVD what are you doing currently how do you do it what are the benefits to children’s learning…especially connectedness. Discussion: Read Colette’s interview notes….

Involving Children in Planning Two strategies for involving children in planning and reviewing their learning.

KWL Chart Know… Want to Know… Learnt Complete first two (K and W) at start of topic Complete last (L) during topic as a learning log, perhaps at the end of the day Prompts – “Can we answer any of our ‘W’s?” AND – ‘Can we stretch any of our ‘L’s?

KWL Chart A KWL chart works well as the heart of a ‘Learning Wall’ However, you can ‘shrink’ it down to a smaller available space and still make good use of it!

KW H L Chart This one has an ‘H’ added – “How will we find out?” Which resources, websites, skills will we use that have worked for us before?

Learning Trail Record of key topic ‘milestones’ and key pieces of learning achieved. Start by providing a set of ‘milestones’ for the topic – on this one you can see ‘Survival’, ‘First people in Ireland’, ‘Food’ etc. At end of day plenaries ask children, “What new learning should we add?” and, “Where does it belong?”

KWHL Chart and a Learning Trail as the heart of a ‘Learning Wall’

This Learning Trail is being used to track major learning ‘milestones’ over the whole school year.

Time to think and plan for yourself Design a topic plan using the template provided earlier. Questions/Considerations:

Topic Planning (and Evaluation) What are the children’s next learning needs? Where are the most effective (and natural) connections? What else needs to be taught (separately)? Is the programme manageable within the timescale set?

Getting to know the resources for planning Work with colleagues to produce an outline topic plan. Use the resources you have brought with you as well as the ICLs provided. Using the ICLs… 1 Scan the front cover, which gives you:  ‘Focus’ for the entire ICL topic  Outlines for each of the four key areas  The Arts  PDMU  WAU  PE 2. Inside the booklet, in each of the four key areas, check out the ‘Learning Intentions’ and ‘Suggested Activities’. 3. Check the ‘Skills’ section at the back of the booklet (TSPC etc)

Summary Connected Learning is all about the connections that children actually make in their learning, not necessarily the ones we make in our planning. So…it’s vital to evaluate carefully to see how well the programme delivered connected learning. It’s worth doing this with colleagues! However, you can enhance connectedness from the outset, by providing a stage at which the children are involved in planning (and later, evaluation).

Personal Targets Session 3: Involving Children in Planning Things to think further about:Things to try out:

Evaluation Sheets Please complete the evaluation sheets. These will be used to amend our future development sessions.