Getting Practical Science transition project

Train the trainer session

Dec 2012

The Icebreaker

About Getting Practical

• Originally a DFEE funded project• Managing expectations

– Novel experiments issue– How hands on it is

• Comprises materials to support 3 CPD sessions– Shorter sessions than the original project– intended to fit into twilight sessions – approx 1.5 hours each

Why do we do practical work?The purpose of practical work is to help pupils make links between two domains of knowledge:

objects and observablesobjects and observables ideasideas

practical work

'hands-on, minds-on'

'We need to increase the 'minds on' aspects of practical work, if we want to make it more effective.‘ Millar and Abrahams, 2009

Gallery Gossip

• Look at all of the quotes on the posters around the room

• Stand by a poster that you agree with – discuss with the people also standing at the poster why you agree with it

• Now stand by a poster that you don’t agree with – discuss why you don’t agree with it

A tale of two clusters

Background to the two pilot clusters•Allie Denholm – Uplands community College East Sussex•Liz Lawrence – Barking and Dagenham Local Authority

Session 1

• The ice breaker and gallery gossip are part of session 1

Why do we do practical work? - the key learning outcomes

• Identify equipment• Use equipment• Describe and carry out a

standard procedure

• Make observations• Identify, group or classify• Describe a link between variables• Show understanding of scientific

ideas• Ask a question• Plan an

investigation• Identify and

evaluate risk• Collect relevant

data• Present data

effectively• Process/interpret

data• State a conclusion• Evaluate a

conclusion

Why do we do practical work?• In cross-phase pairs look at the practical

activities displayed around the room.

• Use ‘post-it’ notes to indicate• Why you might do these particular practical

activities (yellow) • Which units of work the activity could fit in to

(green)

• Hold a discussion to classify the practical activities into groups based on the reasons for doing the practical.

• Is there any overlap where the activities are used in both key stages, what are the implications of this?

Possible outcomes from this activity• Feedback from the pilot clusters

– Avoiding excessive emphasis on ‘which topic?’– Securing a greater emphasis on ‘why do this

practical?’– Some pictures of classifications– When to give out the ‘venn diagram’– Beware of those that read ahead at this point!– Some slides may need to be available to

participants as handouts

Session 1 gap task – the review tool

Observations on the review tool activity • Chose one ‘learning episode’

– not a sequence of lessons – one practical session only– Risk of participants coming back with very different interpretations !!!

• Teachers get brownie points for ticking all the boxes!• Probable outcomes from this task

– Too many outcomes identified– Need for a manageable number of outcomes and being clear with

pupils about what these are – Avoiding the rambling, unfocussed practical activity – need for

teachers to intervene regularly to maintain focus – divide activity in episodes

– Some outcomes feature regularly– others hardly at all• This tool/approach is not just about teaching better planning

Reflect on session 1

• Use ‘planning sheet’ to capture your planning for this session– How do you think you might use the review tool in

your cluster?– What happens if you don’t finish the session in the

time you have available

Session 2Reviewing the outcomes from the gap task •In cross-phase pairs discuss these questions.•What similarities do you notice between KS2 and KS3 activities?•Compare the common activities:•Do they have the same learning outcomes in each key stage?•How many outcomes are realistic for a single activity?•Which outcomes appear more frequently?•Which outcomes occur least? •What are the implications of this for planning and training teachers?

Dissolve - Dissolve! • Look at this equipment for a dissolving experiment.

• What do you notice about the apparatus?

• Looking at your outcomes what will be your objectives for KS2 and KS3?

• Design an activity to suit each key stage – What key questions will you ask to check understanding?

– How will the questions be different for each key stage/ability group?

– How will you ensure progression?

• Make a poster to display your ideas

The purpose of this task• Thinking carefully about a specific practical • An everyday practical (much agonising about giving an activity which is yet

another a fair test!• Encouraging clarity about intended outcomes for pupil• Outcome areas available on a prompt sheet vs groups identifying their own• Designing the experiment specifically to facilitate these outcomes – the same

activity should actual look different if focused on a different outcome• Transition focus - highlights the differences between key stages in the role of

practical work – what has been done before – how can it be revisited/developed• Organising the working groups – mixed groups – same outcome in KS2 and 3 or

some outcomes identified as more appropriate for one key stage than another• With a large group of participants you could assign specific outcome areas to

groups – pro’s and cons – some are much harder than other to do than others.• The “Guess the outcome area” approach.• Alternative feedback approaches from the poster (Market place) - eg Jigsaw • A possible next step - Bring scheme’s of work and compare these cross phase

Poster Feedback• Walk around in your pairs looking at the other

learning outcome areas. • When walking round identify how many

questions are about what pupils are doing and how many questions are about why pupils are doing the activity.

• How could you re-phrase questions to address the balance of what and why questions?

Reflect on session 2

• Use ‘planning sheet’ to capture your planning ideas for this session

Session 2 Gap TaskPupil Feedback in Science

Date Pupil name

What did I do in Science today?

What did I learn in Science today?

What questions do I still want to ask about this topic?

Session 2 Gap task

• This is a generic reflective tool for pupils• Could have a variety of uses• Intention is to explore pupil voice – What do the pupils

think the reasons is for doing the activities?• Qus 1 and 2 probably more useful in this context• Designed to support establishing the impact of the

getting practical approach • Encourage teachers to develop this beyond the

questionnaire into a conversation with pupils• eg “How did the practical activity help you learn?”

• In Key Stage groups discuss the feedback from pupils.

• Be prepared to feedback key points to the rest of the group.

Reflecting on the gap task

Pupil Feedback in Science

Date Pupil name

What did I do in Science today?

What did I learn in Science today?

What questions do I still want to ask about this topic?

Session 3

A. Teacher's objectives

what the pupils are intended to learn

B. Task specification

what the pupils are intended to do

D. Learning outcomes

what the pupils actually learn

Effectiveness

1

Reflecting on the effectiveness of practical work

C. Classroom eventswhat the pupils actually do

2

Effectiveness at Level 1

Did pupils do what they were intended to do (and see the things they were meant to see)?

Effectiveness at Level 2

Did pupils learn (and can later show understanding of) what they were intended to learn?

Looking for evidence of effectiveness

• Have a look at the examples of the pupil voice outcomes you have been given

• Identify evidence of effectiveness at levels 1 & 2• Could you use this tool to help you measure the

impact of the work in this project– a baseline and an end point measure?

Reflect on first part of session 3

• Use ‘planning sheet’ to capture your planning for this part of session 3

The second part of session 3• Working with network participants thinking

about how they will use these ideas and activities to develop the use of practical work as a focus to improve curriculum continuity across the key stages in their schools

• Time in the session to actually plan at least the outline of what they are going to do – Planning in supportive environment– Thinking about what the barriers might be to

implementing the ideas in their schools• Theoretical input on change management

• Reflect on your vision for science in your school.

• Decide what training implications this has.• Prepare a pitch to deliver to your Leadership

team and Governors about the future of science in your school – use the prompt cards to help you.

Presenting your vision for science

• Get into triads and present your pitch to each other.

• Discuss pitches – give feedback– identify any problems with implementing training.– suggest possible solutions.

Triad madness!

[from http://susanlucas.com/it/images/categories.gif]

Categories of adopters of innovations

Overcoming barriers to change

1. Relative advantage

2. Compatibility with existing values and practices

3. Simplicity

4. Trialability

5. Observable results

What are the qualities that make innovations spread?

• Use the proforma and website to design your CPD package.

• http://gettingpractical.wikispaces.com/

Designing a CPD package to use in your school

• In small groups discuss your CPD plan. • Are there any points from other plans that you

would like to include in yours?

Discussion and Feedback

Reflect on second part of session 3

• Use ‘planning sheet’ to capture your planning for the second part of session 3

Fin

Impact of the project in pilot clusters

• East Sussex, Allie Denholm• Barking and Dagenham, Liz Lawrence

East Sussex• Termly cross-phase meeting• Cross- phase lesson observations• Sharing of schemes of learning• Common recording structures for assessment data• Support with subject knowledge• Improved primary secondary liaison including G&T

provision • Professional development (and career enhancement!)

for participants• Better quality practical work• Impact on pupil outcomes in science

Barking and Dagenham

• New cluster • Evidence of impact within individual schools• Impact on individual teachers• Follow up evaluation in the summer term

Looking ahead

Marianne Cutler (ASE)• Impact of the next phase• Case studies

Guskey’s 5 levels of impact:

•1 Participants’ reflection •2 Participants’ learning•3 Organisational changes •4 Participants’ use of new learning•5 Impact on students

Evaluation and case studies

• Questions on reflections relating to CPD session

• Questions on reflections back in school and with your cluster

• One case study per cluster to be published by Sept 2013 – two page article (minimum), accompanied by lots of visual evidence

Evaluation and case studies