Copyright David Millington CURIOSITY STRATEGIC AWARENESS LEARNING RELATIONSHIPS CREATIVITY RESILIENCE CHANGING MEANING MAKING

Copyright David Millington

CURIOSITY

STRATEGIC AWARENESS

LEARNING RELATIONSHIPS

CREATIVITY

RESILIENCE

CHANGING

MEANING MAKING


Powerful learning – An OverviewPowerful learning – An Overview

The University of Bristol undertook a 3 year research project to find out what makes children/adults effective learners. They identified seven different factors or dimensions that combine to create such effective learning, otherwise described as learning power or powerful learning.

What is powerful learning?


But what are these so called learning dimensions?

The seven dimensions of powerful learning:The seven dimensions of powerful learning:

CHANGING

CURIOSITY

MEANING MAKING

RESILIENCE

STRATEGIC AWARENESS

CREATIVITY



Powerful learning in the classroomPowerful learning in the classroom

This sounds great - but how will you use this knowledge to enable your children to become powerful learners?

Step 1: Developing a powerful learning based physical and emotional environment.

Step 2: Introducing the seven dimensions so that every child understands what constitutes powerful learning.

Step 3: Having a thinking skills and values based curriculum where activities support and foster the seven dimensions

Step 4: Allowing children to reflect on their own learning and that of others in relationship to the seven dimensions.


Step 1 Creating a powerful learning physical and emotional environment

Step 1 Creating a powerful learning physical and emotional environment

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT EMOTIONAL ENVIRONMENT

The co-creation of rules for speaking and listening that develop respect for others

Flexible layout of room that facilitates movement and seating of children

A safe environment where children are encouraged to talk about their learning strengths and weaknesses

Wall displays that display and encourage the use of powerful learning vocabulary and which stimulate the visual senses

The physiological needs of the body and in particular the brain are addressed (Brain breaks are built into and between lessons)

An area of the classroom dedicated solely to critical curiosity (Gerard’s wonder box)

The teacher fosters a sense of belonging to the learning environment

Children are encouraged to value their learning strengths and abilities where acknowledgement of this is integral to every lesson


Step 2Introducing and understanding

Step 2Introducing and understanding

• Animal cartoon association

• Learning metaphors

and similes

• Story writing


POWERFUL LEARNING AT WESTBURY PARKPOWERFUL LEARNING AT WESTBURY PARK


CHANGINGCAMILLA

CHANGINGCAMILLA

Hello, I’m Camilla and my learning strength is changing. I know that I can become better at learning over time and develop strengths in all the different learning dimensions. I understand the potential of my mind and how my thinking can improve and expand.


STRATEGIC AWARENESSCARMEN

STRATEGIC AWARENESSCARMEN

Hello, my name is Carmen and my learning strength is strategic awareness. I have a toolkit of strategies that I am able to use in different learning situations.


MEANING MAKINGVINNY

MEANING MAKINGVINNY

Hello, I’m Vinny and my learning strength is in meaning making. Soaring high up in the sky I can see how learning fits together like a jigsaw to make the big picture. I am always looking for links between what I already know and what I am learning. I am able to connect what I have learnt in one lesson with another and to my life outside of school.


LEARNING RELATIONSHIPSELLI

LEARNING RELATIONSHIPSELLI

Hello, my name is Elli and my learning strength is in learning relationships. I like sharing my thoughts and ideas with others and love working with my friends to solve problems.


CREATIVITYMARVIN

CREATIVITYMARVIN

Hello, I’m Marvin and my learning strength is creativity. I love playing with possibilities and using my imagination to solve problems in different ways.


RESILIENCE

LENNY

RESILIENCE

LENNYHello, I’m Lenny and my learning strength is resilience. I love to challenge my thinking and learning. I don’t give up easily – even when things are difficult.


CURIOSITYGERARD

CURIOSITYGERARD

Hello, I’m Gerard and my learning strength is curiosity. I love asking my own questions to find out what’s really going on.


Learning is like…Learning is like…

…driving on a motorway!

Sometimes you’re going quickly in the fast lane. At other times you ‘re travelling much slower in the slow lane – and you might even become stuck in a traffic jam! ALEX (AGED 9)


Learning is like…Learning is like…

…your heart beating - it never stops until you die!

LILLY (AGED 9)


Crossing The Mara River

creativity

resilience

learning relationships

meaning making

strategic awareness

curiosity

animalquestions

animal

Imaginative ideas

animal

determination

animal

resourcefulnessanimal

animal attributesattributes

attributes

attributes

attributes

working effectively with others

seeing how things fit together


Step 3Fostering the 7 dimensions through a thinking skills

and values based curriculum

Step 3Fostering the 7 dimensions through a thinking skills

and values based curriculum

Thinking skills ValuesThinking skills starters are used at the beginning of the day.

The school develops a set or agreed values

through a partnership of children, teachers and parents.

There is a predominance of open ended activities.

There are values displays in the classroom.

HOTS activities (higher order thinking skills) which focus on the application of knowledge, analysis, synthesis and evaluation are used.

Opportunities within the curriculum are taken for discussing values. Values links are made explicit in lesson planning.

LOTS activities (lower order thinking skills activities), which are knowledge based and focus on information recall only, do not dominate the curriculum.

Values are shared and discussed in assemblies and during circle time.

Mind mapping, fortune lines and concept lines are used by the teacher in the modelling process and by the children when planning and organising their thoughts.

Curiosity is encouraged and fostered. Philosophy and wonder walls are used.


CURIOSITYCURIOSITY

STRATEGIC AWARENESS

STRATEGIC AWARENESS

What is th

e

important

informatio

n? Which operations must be used?

What is/are the

calculations that need to

be solved?What strategies

should I use?

rounding/adjusting

informal partitioning

Standard writtenMathematical problem solving

There were 1,399 wildebeest grazing on the Mara plains. Of these, a pride of 7 lions killed and devoured 450.

How many wildebeest

were left grazing?


Proverb: Too many cooks spoil the brothTitle: The leopard and the crocodile

Fortune Line for Leopard

sad

happy

worried

time

1

2

3

4

5

Powerful Learning

Meaning Making

Strategic Awareness

1

2

3

4

5

Leopard is saddened to see that the Mara Bridge has been destroyed as he is unable to join his friend for supper.

Crocodile appears from the river bank and explains his strategy for crossing the river. He calls upon his many friends to build a ‘crocodile bridge’.

Crocodiles appear from far and wide. As more and more link snout to tail, confusion and chaos ensues. As Leopard begins to cross, the crocodile bridge falls apart.

Soaring high above, Vulture reasons that the strategy has been unsuccessful due to the huge number of crocodiles in relation to the width of the river and suggests they reduce their numbers.

The crocodile bridge is now a success. Leopard crosses safely and joins his friend high up in a tree to feast upon a wildebeest carcass.


Setting(s)

Character(s) Creation(s)

mankind

Human nature

go

od

bad

loverespect

hate

disrespect

Who?

How?

SleegMix soil w

ith

saliva

before

peaceful lush vegetation

after

pu

re s

ky/r

iver

s

How Mankind

Came To Be

pollutedbarren

Myth

ical beast

GodHer

o

nam

e

char

acte

r

appearance

fearlesscunning

muscular

Mow

gul leather skin


Title: How Mankind Came To BeFortune Line of Ramana

Time

Em

oti

on

happy

sad

angry

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

The god -Ramana is very content with the beautiful world he has created.

Sleeg, a grotesque soil monster, condemned to a life underground, plans to destroy Ramana's world through the creation of man. Mixed from Sleeg’s saliva and the soil, mankind begins to destroy the peace and beauty on Earth.

Wailing in anger, Ramana causes earthquakes and tidal waves to wreak havoc on earth.

Leniana – the lion king, fearing the destruction of all life on Earth, convinces mankind to change his behaviour and never follow the commands of Sleeg.

Mankind shows that it is able to respect and care for the world. This pleases Ramana.

Powerful Learning

Resilience Learning Relationships


Step 4Reflecting on the Learning Dimensions

Step 4Reflecting on the Learning Dimensions

CONCEPT LINES

What’s so amazing about a line?

Enables children to develop own learning vocabulary

Very easily implemented

An excellent tool for enabling children to reflect on their own learning strengths and weaknesses and those of others (peers, teachers, parents, celebrities)

Visual and kinaesthetic nature makes the reflection periods much more memorable and enjoyable.

Allows children to see how they can change and grow as learners

Concept lines have many other applications across the curriculum


- +

KEY WORDSCREATIVITY

POWERFUL LEARNING AT WESTBURY PARK

POWERFUL LEARNING AT WESTBURY PARK

I DON’T UNDERSTAND YET I’M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND


CREATIVITY

RESILIENCE

CURIOSITY

MEANING MAKING


POWERFUL LEARNING CONCEPT LINESPOWERFUL LEARNING CONCEPT LINES

ROBOTIC STRATEGICALLY AWARE

EFFECTIVE PARTNER

DEPENDENT

FRAGMENTARYMEANING MAKER

RULE BOUND CREATIVE

FRAGILE RESILIENT

PASSIVE CURIOUS


POWERFUL LEARNING FORTUNE LINESPOWERFUL LEARNING FORTUNE LINES

TIME

TIME

TIME

TIME

TIME

TIME

RE

SIL

IEN

CE

CU

RIO

SIT

Y

CR

EA

TIV

ITY

LE

AR

NIN

G

RE

LA

TIO

NS

HIP

S

ST

RA

TE

GIC

AW

AR

EN

ES

S

ME

AN

ING

MA

KIN

G


Powerful Learning TargetsName: ……………. Date: ……….

curiosity

resilience

strategic awareness

learning relationships

creativity

meaning making


Powerful Learning – A Holistic ApproachPowerful Learning – A Holistic Approach

A whole school approach

Developing a home/school powerful learning partnership

Introducing ELLI online at both the beginning and end of an academic year in order to formulate individuals profiles in relation to the learning dimensions and assess progress.

Target setting in relationship to the learning dimensions

Report writing in relationship to the learning dimensions

Documents

Copyright David Millington CURIOSITY STRATEGIC AWARENESS LEARNING RELATIONSHIPS CREATIVITY RESILIENCE CHANGING MEANING MAKING