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Discuss and match descriptors

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Early Childhood Series - Inquiry Based Learning

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What does it mean to be an inquiry teacher?

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Day 1:

- Helps Me/Hinders Me
- KWL
- See Think Wonder
- Think-Pair-Share
- Word-Phrase-Sentence

Day 2
- Look like, Sound like, Feel like
- Connect-Extend-Challenge
- I used to think....and now I think

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Explore one of the Unit Planners From This School District

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Explore one of the Unit Planners From This School District

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Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy at A. Maceo Smith

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Using Perspective to Coax Students to Think Critically

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The Role of the Teacher & the Advantages of Inquiry Learning

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The Role of the Teacher & the Advantages of Inquiry Learning

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Inquiry learning requires careful planning.

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"Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing
and right-doing, there is a field.
I'll meet you there."
― Rumi
I started writing this post about a month ago and it has taken an unusually (agonisingly) long time to complete. In fact it is not complete. Blogs should ideally be short, to the point and accessible. This one isn't. Each time I have returned to it, I have felt much more like I was writing a journal article than a blog post! It's too long. The solution to my dilemma came to me today. Break it up. Take your time. Allow some space in between. So, here's part 1. And it's still too long. Sorry.
One of the most persistent criticisms of inquiry-based approaches is that learners are insufficiently supported because teachers, so the argument goes, expect them to 'go and find out' with minimal guidance. This argument depicts the inquiry teacher as a warm but arms-length, non-interventionist 'guide on the side' who is little more than a '\resource person'\.

I have said this many times before but it can't hurt to say it again. When understood well, inquiry learning actually demands careful design of authentic learning experiences, attention to existing schema, deft questioning, ongoing assessment, the cultivation of curiosity and the ability to plan and teach through concepts. The teacher's role is critical. Even when experiences are planned to allow open exploration (while teachers observe and document) the work is highly intentional. Nevertheless, both the image of inquiry as a kind of 'free for all' methodology and the criticism of its effectiveness prevail. In this series of posts, I want to address some of this criticism: not in defence, but rather to consider what we can learn from it.

So - let me first lay my rather obvious cards on the table. Thirty-five years of teaching combined with the wisdom of many great minds in education leave me in no doubt about the power of inquiry. I have seen time and time again the potent effect of valuing learner's questions, the gains in understanding when we support the learner to do the heavy lifting, the palpable thrill of 'figuring out' and the capacity for children to take their learning SO much further and deeper when unnecessary teacher-imposed restrictions are removed. I am regularly astonished at the way learning erupts when the learner is curious and hungry to find out. I have seen learner agency beautifully demonstrated when teachers allow learners take action about big ideas that matter to them. It is also easy for me to cite numerous examples of research that supports the approach (see for example, Hmelo-Silver, C., Duncan, R., & Chinn, C. (2007) or Barron, B., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2008), Friesen & Scott, 2013.) There are plentiful studies arguing the case for a more learner and learning centred approach to contemporary curriculum. Our curriculum here in Australia identifies inquiry skills as integral to several learning areas and this is echoed in programs and curricula around the world (PYP, The new Curriculum of British Columbia, the New Curriculum in Wales, The NZ Curriculumn to name just a few).

I could comfortably stay in an echo chamber of theorists and practitioners who think what I think and believe what I believe...but...

...I also know the dangers of doing this. I know that my passion for this approach to teaching and learning must not blind me to its pitfalls. I know that to develop deep understanding depth about a concept I need to be able to view it with an open mind and from multiple perspectives. (Somewhat ironically, that is one of the underpinning principles of inquiry learning itself.)

So, that's what I have been doing lately - re-visiting research that contends inquiry is ineffective. And in the spirit of Rumi's famous call to meet in the space between right and wrong, I offer my thoughts on what we can learn from those who argue the case against inquiry learning.

Each time I re-read this work, I find that my points of difference are more a matter of emphasis rather than conflict. Polarised views are rampant in education (whole language vs phonics being one of the most obvious) but ultimately unhelpful. Holding extreme views, refusing to acknowledge some validity in positions very different to one's own simply stifles dialogue and ultimately prevents all of us from moving forward. I've always been much more interested in dialogue than diatribe.

The bulk of the criticism of the effectiveness of inquiry learning centres around its lack of sufficient support for learners, the absence of clear intentions and the need for more explicit teaching. Of the research that suggests inquiry learning is ineffective, two fields interest me in particular. One is around cognitive load theory (see, for example,, Kirschner, Sweller & Clark 2006). The second is related work on episodic vs semantic memory (see a useful discussion on this at https://www.educationnext.org/best-way-to-help-children-remember-things-not-memorable-experiences-excerpt/ )

What is the essence of this research? At the risk of oversimplification and acknowledging I am far from an expert in the field of cognitive science...and because this is a blog post not an academic article, I offer the following:

Cognitive Load Theory is a way of explaining brain's processing of information and the transfer of information from working memory to long term memory. Working memory is vulnerable to overload and this overload can compromise learning. This research suggests that learning experiences need to be designed in ways that reduce the strain on working memory to promote schema construction for deeper, long term understanding. Related research into memory 'types' while taking a different tack, arrives at a similar conclusion to that found in discussions of CLT. Episodic memory is a kind of 'autobiographical' memory - linked to sensory experiences and emotion. We might, for example, remember laughing at an hilarious joke someone told us a week ago...we remember that moment, but possibly not the joke itself. We remember 'episodes' in our lives relatively easily. Remembering is, of course, not necessarily knowing. Semantic memory, on the other hand, refers to the facts, concepts and understandings we have stored in our long term memory and no longer context bound. Unlike remembering what you had for breakfast this morning, semantic memory needs work and is potentially more robust : "the deliberate building of semantic memory is much more likely to result in long lasting, flexible and transferable memory."

The work on cognitive load and memory types draw similar conclusions about the ineffectiveness of problem solving or inquiry - particularly in the early stages of learning about something. Much of this criticism is based on a definition of inquiry as involving little or no teacher instruction or guidance. If teachers truly understand the critical nature of their role in an inquiry classroom then I believe we actually have more in common with this research than we might think. So this remains an important point to make. When people claim inquiry learning is ineffective, it is important to ask: What do you mean by inquiry learning? If the definition emphasises minimal guidance and suggests learners are expected to simply 'go it alone' then for the most part, I am inclined to agree (with some caveats I'll discuss next time)

Rather than spend any more time analysing definitions and explaining the research itself (this is a blog post after all - I may have already lost you!!) I want to share some of the ways it helps inform my practice as a dedicated inquiry-based teacher. In other words, what can I learn from those who have a different view? Over the years, as I listen to dissenting voices I have learned to ask myself:

What is it about my thinking/being that is resisting this work? Why?

Where do we have thinking in common?

What is resonating with me most strongly?

What am I doing that actually aligns with this work? (as it turns out, more than you might expect)

How is this helping clarify or bring into focus the principles that underpin inquiry?

What new questions does this raise for me? What am I curious about?

In parts #2 and #3 I will share the lessons I have learned from those who argue against inquiry as an effective approach....they have taught me a lot

Stay tuned and keep wondering....

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Inquiry learning: pitfalls and perspectives #part 1 (of 2) - Kath Murdoch

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"Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." ― Rumi I started writing this post about a month ago and it has taken an unusually (agonisingly) long time to complete. In fact it is not complete.&

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The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a global leader in international education-developing inquiring, knowledgeable, confident, and caring young people. With more than 7,700 programmes being offered worldwide, across over 5,600 schools in 159 countries, an IB education is designed to develop well-rounded individuals who can respond to today's challenges with optimism and an open mind.

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If I'm to be honest, teaching elapsed time is not my favourite thing to do. It's pretty close to pulling my own teeth, but of course, ultimately, far more rewarding. 🙂 With interactive timelines things get far more interesting.

With 3rd grade, it is such a tricky concept to grasp, particularly with hours and minutes. And then when you throw in years and A.D and B.C ( now also known as Before the Common Era /B.C.E and the Common Era/ C.E) , we can really end up quite tied in knots. But once they've got it, by golly, the wee angels are soaring! And their teacher is on cloud nine with them!

The review, by the time we get to 4th and 5th grades, isn't quite as painful, thank goodness, and fine tuning those time lines and introducing more complex variations can even become a fun experience for all involved with great digital variations that the kids love exploring. I'll get to more of those in a bit.

There are numerous ways to teach elapsed time and I wanted to share a few favourites of mine. As always, within the IB PYP, I like to keep things as inquiry based as possible and make the experience an authentic learning experience. Kill and drill worksheets, in my opinion, make math oh so boring.

Using timelines is a great math tool to effectively illustrate the passage of time in addition to the events that occur over time. They are a great way to add math to any unit of inquiry that looks into the past and/or compares the connections between past, present and future. There are many strategies out there for teaching the tricky concept of elapsed time. Given that we have a myriad of different types of learners, I wanted to share a few that I have found to be particularly effective with my kiddos.
I like to review this concept with my students before setting them out to create their own timelines, particularly when it comes to B.C.E (B.C.) and C.E ( A.D.) Pick & choose the journey for your class for easy differentiation.You will know where to start with this for your own class.

The Toilet Paper Timeline

Key Concept: Form Following on from math where we learned about measure and scale behind elapsed time,( how many days in a year, years in a decade, century, millennium etc), I posed the problem, "If each square of toilet paper is one century, how many squares will we need to show from 6000BC to 2015AD?" This was an eye opening inquiry as the children "saw" that all of life today fits into one single square!! Great visual for recognition of how very old the world is and how very tiny we are in the whole spectrum of time passed. We then taped our toilet paper time line around the room to reinforce the visual representation of time behind us and where we stand on that timeline.

The Interactive Timeline

Key Concepts: Change and Connection
Using an interactive timeline in our class during an inquiry allows the children to not only add dates of major events to the timeline, but also to see the connections and changes over time, categorise events and key players, compare other timelines and even infer how the timeline of events may end. Can you change history? What advice would you give to people of that time? There's really so much you can do.
This of course instigates further independent inquiries from the children and

I encourage them to do their own research to find the answers to their questions. We actually add our questions and answers to our timeline, together with observations of change & connections across time, with sticky notes.

Deeper Thinking: To add rigour for my older kids, I will have them create their pattern on their timeline independently, thus showing their understanding of elapsed time. For example: 2018 to 1900. The child may choose to jump back in a pattern of multiples of 6 until they reach the year 2000 rounding down and then for the remainder, show the leap in multiples of 50, utilising the correct number of circles in the timeline, until they reach the year 1900. These patterns will vary according to the children thinking it through. See the example below. This shows a set pattern that adds to the higher level thinking that will require the children to think through the pattern of numbers/multiples for creating their timeline. Time lines can then be compared and discussed amongst others. The mathematical conversations that arise are fantastic!
The Number Line
Key Concepts: Form & Function The good old number line ties in well visually with the timeline above. Students actually get to see the jump in time as we round our time up to the nearest multiple of years or minutes, record the time "jumped" and then add them altogether. This is a good tool, I have found, for those kids who are more visual learners or they have less of a grasp with their number sense and prefer to really see the jump in time and draw the jump for themselves.

Integrating Related Content with Math: Elapsed time &
Literacy: Non fiction text features

Key Concepts: Function & Form I have used this as a homework activity.
It can also be used in class in small groups or individually.
As part of our non fiction text features, I showed the children an example of various types of timelines.
We noted the connections and chatted about the different layouts.
Then the children selected their own style, did their research and created their own differentiated timelines.
Reflection: The children presented their timelines, relaying the time passed and the dates of major events BM ( before me) and AB. (after I was born)
We then compared those timelines to our class interactive timeline.

Digital Timelines: A Technological Storyboard

Key Concepts: Form, Function & Connection The web is filled with great tools for creating digital timelines. These that I am mentioning are all free, kid friendly and are really great fun to use. My fifth graders have used these with maths inquiries and within their exhibition presentation. The finished products all look professional. Great way to add technology to your maths. Click on the links and explore away! 🙂

Sutori - almost like a slide show but better. It allows you to embed pictures, audio and video clips and has ready-made templates. Probably better for older kids or those kids who are very techy. ( in other words they don't need me when it gets tricky!)

TimeGlider -this is a great one that is similar to Google maps in that it allows you to zoom around places and add the images to your timeline.

ReadWriteThink - kid friendly and can be used in conjunction with literacy too! One of my faves for a more basic digital timeline. Better for the younger kids I think.

Tiki-Toki - the basic version is free and allows you to create fabulous animated timelines. This is a popular one with the kids!

The T Chart

Key Concepts : Form & Function Oldies but goodies. I create most of the anchor chart with the children present rather than in advance. Thus they get to see it in creation, interacting with the process of the strategy rather than as a pre-prepared work of art. It hangs for all to see, analyse and copy as a working document. 🙂 With less visual representation of the jump in time as the Number Line, it too shows the rounding up of time and then totalling the time in order to find the elapsed time. It's great to have them practice with their own t-charts in their notebooks as a strategy for solving time problems. I find that this T chart is more successful with those kiddos who have a better grasp of number sense.

The Inquiry Based Math Project

Key Concept: Depends on the inquiry These are my favourite! I have a previous post about integrating math into the IB PYP which you can link to here. These projects are fantastic tools for exactly that. There are two projects currently in my store that look at elapsed time problems and inquiries and others, listed below, that focus on other maths skills and standards

The Great Time Travel Adventure is geared towards 4th and 5th grades standards and phase 3/4 of the IB PYP and is so much fun, particularly with the design of their own Time Travel Machine. Kids are SO TOTALLY engaged with this one. As well as elapsed time and timelines, it also covers place value with large numbers, measure of area and distance and math inquiry into well known structures across the world as the children travel across time.( The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Standing Stones of Easter Island, China's Terracotta Warriors etc.)

The Pilgrims' Journey to America is suitable for 3rd, 4th and 5th grades with the story of the pilgrims' journey across the Atlantic towards America. It also includes measure with scale and distance with a mapping inquiry, planning a Thanksgiving feast, scale and measure of the Mayflower ship and fractions suitable for IB PYP phase 3 & 4.

Other inquiry based math projects that you may like to look at include:
If the World Were A Village - Area, Volume, Operations, Ratios
O ur School - Number, Measure & Geometry
Planning A Popcorn Party - Measure, Data Analysis, Number The American Revolution - Problem Solving, Place Value, Finding Fractions, Scale Design A Haunted House - Area, Volume, Polygons & Polyhedrons, Data Analysis
Truly, integrating maths into your unit of inquiry adds to the holistic authenticity of the learning. I know that it can sometimes be a juggle and even a struggle with this task but I hope that some of these ideas and tools can help make your job that wee bit easier.

Please share your own thoughts, ideas and tools in the comments below. I am always keen to learn new ideas from my peers.

Enjoy!

FOLLOW ME HERE, FOLLOW ME THERE.....

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If I'm to be honest, teaching elapsed time is not my favourite thing to do. It's pretty close to pulling my own teeth, but of course, ultimately, far more rewarding. :) With interactive timelines things get far more interesting. With 3rd grade, it is such a tricky concept to grasp, particularly...

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Learning how words work doesn't have to be a boring, mundane drill. There are ways to turn your students into enthusiastic explorers of words by getting them engaged in active thinking about language and how it works. Fountas and Pinnell have developed a lesson structure for phonics, spelling, and word study that uses a balance of direct teaching and inquiry, which will encourage students to become active examiners and analyzers of print.

"Children learn much more than we can teach them; they often astound us with the creativity of their insights." ~Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell

Fountas and Pinnell believe that in the tug-of-war between direct teaching and discovery, going to extremes can be dangerous. It's dangerous to leave everything to discovery because students may not acquire the understanding they need, but it's equally dangerous to let students learn only through direct teaching and neglect the excitement that makes learning real. Below is the structure Fountas and Pinnell use in their phonics, spelling, and word study lessons, which provide well-planned, organized direct teaching of language principles, but also contain an element of inquiry.
The Simple Framework
Each phonics, spelling, and word study lesson that appears in a Fountas & Pinnell Literacy™
resource follows a simple structure: teach, apply, and share. Ideally, these lessons would be embedded in a design for responsive literacy teaching that offers a coherent, organized combination of experiences, each of which contributes uniquely to students' literacy development. Here's what a lesson looks like:

TEACH whole-class lessons based on a principle related to phonics. Each principle is listed and explained in The Comprehensive Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Guide, and each incorporates an element of inquiry. The inclusion of inquiry, where possible, rivets students' attention to discovering something about language; it makes the lesson enjoyable, even exciting! Students become pattern seekers and word discoverers, which, hopefully, will be a lifelong habit.

APPLY through hands-on practice to apply the principle. Students can learn much more through these hands-on activities because they provide an experience in constructing their own knowledge. You can choose to have all the children do the Apply activity simultaneously, individually, or with a partner after the lesson, or they could rotate to a word-study center to engage in the activity during independent work time as they develop the ability to manage their own learning.

SHARE, as students meet briefly in a whole-class meeting, to talk about the discoveries they made. This brief sharing time gives you a chance to assess the effectiveness of your lesson, return to the principle and summarize the learning, and link to reading and writing so students know how to use what they have learned.

A general goal in presenting any lesson is to pique students' curiosity about words. We want
them to seek patterns, notice similarities, take words apart and reassemble them, think about various chunks of words and what they mean, and more. When students perceive word study as word play, an important instructional goal has been achieved.

To learn about all of the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy™ resources that contain this effective phonics, spelling, and word study lesson structure, click here to read last week's blog. And don't forget to keep an eye out this August for the NEW Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study System for grades K and 1!
~The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy™ Team

Join the fastest growing community in the field of literacy education. Get your free membership and stay up to date on the latest news and resources from Fountas and Pinnell at www.fountasandpinnell.com

For a well-organized, searchable archive of FAQs and discussions that are monitored by Fountas and Pinnell-trained consultants, go to our Discussion Board at www.fountasandpinnell.com/forum

For more collaborative conversation, join the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy™ Facebook Learning Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/FountasPinnell/

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Teaching Phonics with Fountas & Pinnell Literacy™

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Learning how words work doesn't have to be a boring, mundane drill. There are ways to turn your students into enthusiastic explorers of words by getting them engaged in active thinking about language and how it works.

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Inquiry-Based Learning with ELLs — DiversifiED Consulting

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Teachers who aim to engage English learners in inquiry-based learning often feel overwhelmed at the idea of merging two seemingly separate bands of learning. However, upon closer examination, there is a significant overlap in best-practices facilitation of English Language Development (ELD) and stud

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How to structure an Inquiry Based Lesson

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https://www.aislusaka.org/uploads/8/2/7/1/82714866/a_visual_learning_guide_to_the_pyp.pdf

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Summary of Transdisciplinary Learning Transdisciplinary learning is the exploration of a relevant concept, issue or problem that integrates the perspectives of multiple disciplines in order to connect new knowledge and deeper understanding to real life experiences. Best practices in a

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https://www.pypteachingtools.com/concept-based-learning-making-thinking-visible/

https://blogs.ibo.org/blog/2016/07/08/concept-based-learning-for-todays-students/

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Concept Based Learning & Making Thinking Visible

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Concept Based Learning I am a huge fan of inquiry based teaching and learning. After all, I am a die-hard IB PYP teacher. Anything that promotes thinking in an engaged manner and reinforces understanding excites me! Concept based learning looks at a given subject through the lens of concepts or...

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Concept Based Learning & Making Thinking Visible

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- please add your reflection in a separate post below (you do not have to include your name although it is always welcome!) :)

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I used to think teaching was just telling the students what they needed to learn, I now think that experiential teaching/learning is best practice and I'm excited to teach in this way

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Children under five must spend less time sitting watching screens, or restrained in prams and seats, get better quality sleep and have more time for active play if they are to grow up healthy, according to new guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO).

"Achieving health for all means doing what is best for health right from the beginning of people's lives," says WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "Early childhood is a period of rapid development and a time when family lifestyle patterns can be adapted to boost health gains."

The new guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age were developed by a WHO panel of experts. They assessed the effects on young children of inadequate sleep, and time spent sitting watching screens or restrained in chairs and prams. They also reviewed evidence around the benefits of increased activity levels.

"Improving physical activity, reducing sedentary time and ensuring quality sleep in young children will improve their physical, mental health and wellbeing, and help prevent childhood obesity and associated diseases later in life," says Dr Fiona Bull, programme manager for surveillance and population-based prevention of noncommunicable diseases, at WHO.

Failure to meet current physical activity recommendations is responsible for more than 5 million deaths globally each year across all age groups. Currently, over 23% of adults and 80% of adolescents are not sufficiently physically active. If healthy physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep habits are established early in life, this helps shape habits through childhood, adolescence and into adulthood.

"What we really need to do is bring back play for children," says Dr Juana Willumsen, WHO focal point for childhood obesity and physical activity. "This is about making the shift from sedentary time to playtime, while protecting sleep. "

The pattern of overall 24-hour activity is key: replacing prolonged restrained or sedentary screen time with more active play, while making sure young children get enough good-quality sleep. Quality sedentary time spent in interactive non-screen-based activities with a caregiver, such as reading, storytelling, singing and puzzles, is very important for child development.

The important interactions between physical activity, sedentary behaviour and adequate sleep time, and their impact on physical and mental health and wellbeing, were recognized by the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity, which called for clear guidance on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep in young children.

Applying the recommendations in these guidelines during the first five years of life will contribute to children's motor and cognitive development and lifelong health.

Recommendations at a glance:
Infants (less than 1 year) should:

floor-based play; more is better. For those not yet mobile, this includes Be physically active several times a day in a variety of ways , particularly through interactiveat least 30 minutes in prone position (tummy time) spread throughout the day while awake.

Not be restrained for more than 1 hour at a time (e.g. prams/strollers, high chairs, or strapped on a caregiver's back). Screen time is not recommended. When sedentary, engaging in reading and storytelling with a caregiver is encouraged.

Have 14-17h (0-3 months of age) or 12-16h (4-11 months of age) of good quality sleep, including naps.

Children 1-2 years of age should:

Spend at least 180 minutes in a variety of types of physical activities at any intensity, including moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity, spread throughout the day; more is better.

Not be restrained for more than 1 hour at a time (e.g., prams/strollers, high chairs, or strapped on a caregiver's back) or sit for extended periods of time.For 1-year-olds, sedentary screen time (such as watching TV or videos, playing computer games) is not recommended. For those aged 2 years, sedentary screen time should be no more than 1 hour; less is better. When sedentary, engaging in reading and storytelling with a caregiver is encouraged.

Have 11-14 hours of good quality sleep, including naps, with regular sleep and wake-up times.

Children 3-4 years of age should:

Spend at least 180 minutes in a variety of types of physical activities at any intensity, of which at least 60 minutes is moderate- to vigorous intensity physical activity, spread throughout the day; more is better.

Not be restrained for more than 1 hour at a time (e.g., prams/strollers) or sit for extended periods of time.Sedentary screen time should be no more than 1 hour; less is better. When sedentary, engaging in reading and storytelling with a caregiver is encouraged.

Have 10-13h of good quality sleep, which may include a nap, with regular sleep and wake-up times.

More information:

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To grow up healthy, children need to sit less and play more

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Children under five must spend less time sitting watching screens, or restrained in prams and seats, get better quality sleep and have more time for active play if they are to grow up healthy, according to new guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO).

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Physical activity guidelines for children (under 5 years)

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Physical activity guidelines for children under five years to keep them fit and healthy, including simple ways to build activity into their day.

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National guidelines on childhood physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep

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The Federal Department of Health produces national guidelines on childhood physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep with the aim of promoting healthier and more active kids.

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Guided Peer Discussions
Guided Peer Discussions are discussions between students where the teacher provides scaffolding and specific tools to facilitate the discussion. Guided Peer Discussions allow teachers to use strategies in a natural context to support student growth in communication, expression, and language discourse. Prior to Guided Peer Discussions, the teacher models specific peer discussion techniques (e.g. Think-Pair-Share, using Talking Chips) and pre-teaches any necessary skills or vocabulary. The teacher also provides supports such as communication sentence starters (e.g. I think that ___. I agree/disagree with ___. Although the author states ____, I believe___.), visual aids (e.g., images, writing discussion frames on the whiteboard) and graphic organizers. During the discussion the teacher can support engagement and communication by prompting students to clarify, elaborate, respond to comments, build on each others ideas, ask questions, and participate equitably.

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Guided Peer Discussions Guided Peer Discussions are discussions between students where the teacher provides scaffolding and specific tools to facilitate the discussion. Guided Peer Discussions allow teachers to use strategies in a natural context to support student growth in communication, expression, and language discourse.

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What helps my learning? Example: "Discussing the topic with others"

Writing things down in my own words.

Take notes during lectures and workshops etc

Write blog posts about what I have been learning.

Expanding my understanding of a topic.

Read around the subject in my spare time.

Watch relevant documentaries.

Listen to radio programs.

Read newspaper reports to do with teaching.

Having quiet background music to help keep me focused.

Make a study playlist to put me in the right frame of mind to work.

Wear head phones to block out other distractions.

What hinders my learning? Example: "I am easily distracted"
How can I address this factor?

Study in a place were distractions are minimal

Read lecture notes before the lecture and then take notes lectures to keep me focused

Being distracted but other people around me.

Unless working in a group try and avoid talking to other people who are not doing the same work as me.

Being distracted by my phone etc.

Stay off social media when working.

Put my phone on the other side of the room.

Turn my phone onto silent to stop it distracting me.

Have scheduled periods when I am allowed to check my phone or facebook.

Procrastination.

Don't use cleaning as an excuse not to do work.

Have a set schedule for doing cleaning, laundry and food shopping.

Not being organised.

Keep my work space clean and tidy.

Have a set schedule for when things are to be done.

Keep up to date with any work or events by checking my emails and blackboard everyday.

Check my timetable everyday.

Becoming too stressed to complete work properly.

Stay on top of everything so nothing is being done at the last minute.

This entry was posted in 3.1 Teaching & Learning on by .

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Managing my learning- What helps and hinders me?

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What helps my learning? Example: "Discussing the topic with others" Writing things down in my own words. Take notes during lectures and workshops etc Write blog posts about what I have been learning. Expanding my understanding of a topic. Read around the subject in my spare time. Watch relevant documentaries.