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An introduction to functional skills – embedding them across the curriculum

New qualificatio

ns

New ways of working

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Functional skills are core elements of English, mathematics and ICT that provide an individual with essential knowledge, skills and understanding that will enable them to operate confidently, effectively and independently in life and work.

Employers and educators have identified these skills as vital for enabling young people and adults to succeed in further learning, work and life in modern society.

Defining functional skillsWhat are Functional Skills?

Why are they being introduced?

The key is to emphasise

the INDEPENDEN

T APPLIED use of

ENG/ICT/MATHS

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Functional skills qualifications in English, mathematics and ICT are available at Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3, level 1 and level 2.

The skills criteria for functional skills qualifications specify assessment outcomes for qualifications at each level in terms of skill standards, coverage and range.

Each of the three skills has a set of performance standards based on three key areas. For example …

English

Speaking and listening

Reading

Writing

What are functional skills qualifications?

ThinkTankFunctional Skills will become the CENTREPIECE of

the secondary jigsaw and the glue in 14-19 education

ThinkTankFunctional Skills: The aims

Functional skills are the skills in English, Maths and ICT which enable people to:

• Apply understanding to everyday life

• Engage competently and confidently with others

• Solve problems in familiar and unfamiliar situations

• Develop personally and professionally as positive citizens

• It is a compulsory component of the Diploma and Foundation Learning tier.

• It is going to be a key indicator for school achievement in the future

• It is built into the Maths English ICT GCSE’s but will also be examined separately.Worcester - FS Resources

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ThinkTankThe upshot of today’s training:

FunctionalSkills

Training18/6/10

2010/2011Yr 7

FunctionalSkills

Project

Roll out Yr 7 project in 2010/11

e.g. HWK project/focus week etc

Include ELEMENTS of E/M/I

ID opportunities by end of term

Highlight in SOW’s – DISCRETE!

ThinkTankFrom the 3 subjects, we have listed the

most easily transferable

elements. This information is a

reference point for identifying

opportunities for task building.

ThinkTankIDEAS MATRIX Writing For

Purpose

Formal + Informal

Speaking and Listening

Reading

ENGLISH

ENTERPRISE(DT/ICT/Business)

HUMANITIES

MATHS

MFL

PE

PERFORMING ARTS(Dance/Drama/Music/

Art)

PSHE

SCIENCE

ThinkTankFunctional English – Transferable elements from the core strands

• Present information

• Summarise information

• Compare written sources

• Respond to texts

• Implicit meaning and bias/Comprehension

• Write/Speak persuasively

• Write and follow instructions

• Design questions and interview

• Take notes

• Select appropriate texts

• Spell accurately familiar and technical words/connectives/create paragraphs

• Ensure correct use of tenses

ThinkTankWriting for Purpose:

There are several reasons why students struggle with writing. These include:

• They were taught too early at primary school before fine motor skills were developed (writing is painful).

• They don’t have enough opportunity to talk about what they write before writing.

• They have become dependent on writing frames.

• They don’t read enough fiction and read too much non fiction.

• They need a purpose or audience for the writing.

• Huge amounts of writing goes unmarked.

• Ashamed of handwriting /spelling or typing skills.

• Seen as something females do.

Therefore we have selected 2 of the most transferable strategies for all curriculum areas to augment students ability to write for purpose. They are:

• ‘Writing in Role’• ‘Writing Mats’

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The 4 Purposes of Writing

PurposesOf

Writing

IMAGINE

EXPLORE

ENTERTAIN

INFORM

EXPLAIN

DESCRIBE

PERSUADE

ARGUE

ADVISE

ANALYSE

REVIEW

COMMENT

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“Writing in Role”

• Another way of getting into your character is through 'in-role' writing. Here, you write the thoughts and views of your character as if you were them.

• Writing in role allows learners to work in a slightly distanced way, supporting the development of writing in more complex modes, and offering student writers opportunities for writing from different perspectives. It gives students the chance to see themselves as writers who can control the communication format, as they look at the ways in which both the reader and the writer make meaning, combining self and other as they are composing.

Examples of ‘in-role’ writing include:

• First-person accounts of events from characters in texts, movies, music, news etc.• Petitions organized by the people regarding controversial issues.• Monologues by leading or minor characters about issues.• Interviews between students and fictional/non-fictional characters.• Speakers making announcements, speeches, or proclamations.• Writing cartoons and scripts.• Voicing the words and thoughts of the character.• Reporting/commentary on fictional (or real) events.

ThinkTankExamples of Writing in

Role

PE - Usain Bolt sets new Record

• Interview for Men's Health magazine with diet and training tips from Usain Bolt on how to become a top athlete.

• Interview for Discovery Science channel about biomechanics and top athletic performance.

• Online blog to aspiring athletes on how to perform efficiently on the big stage.

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RoleDT/ICT - IPad Launch by SteveJobs

• After some research, a keynote speech from Apple CEO Steve Jobs about how the Ipad will revolutionise people’s use of computer systems, its capabilities and design features.

• An editorial review for a computer magazine about the product design, marketing, functionality etc.

• Interview with customers who have spent the night queuing up to buy an Ipad at the launch. Smart questioning and answers could elicit better understanding of how sophisticated computer systems and clever marketing have led to increased demand.

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RoleArt: Banksy vs Bristol Museum

• Critique debate about the artistic prowess and merit of this revolutionary and contemporary form of street art.

• Allocate people for perspectives:– Teenager– Local councillor– Fine Art Magazine Editor– Art Teacher– OAP– Museum Owner– Banksy him/herself

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• Hums/ English/ Business:

• Fly-on-the-wall report of the dialogue between President Obama, Tony Hayward and Congress – unearthing the causes, impacts and responses to the oil spill disaster. Secretarial notes.

• Focus on deeper understanding of concepts through research, questioning techniques and appropriate responses.

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RoleSCIENCE:• A voyage log for the Beagle expedition to the

Galapagos Islands highlighting/explaining key observations.

• A keynote lecture about the summary of his findings to the Royal Geographical Society.

• ‘Time-travel’ interview about how his ideas caused a scientific sensation and religious backlash.

• Script the interview between Obama and Hawking – requesting clarification about his life and work – for which he won the US Freedom Medal in 2009.

ThinkTankExamples of Writing in Role

MFL:• Blend topical

research and developing target language by using contemporary issues as a vehicle for improving writing, speaking and listening.

• E.g. Create the script for a news interview with a shoppers, farmers or local councillors. Focus on questioning, verbs, nouns, tense etc.

• Use song/music to familiarise vocabulary. E.g. Foux de fa fa – Flight of the Conchords.

ThinkTankInvolve the Reader“We/Our…”

“We all need to take action…”

Rhetorical Questions

“What would you do?”

“Can you imagine?”

Rule of 3!

It is an importantpoint – use 3

adjectives, NOT 1.

i.e. The COOL, SLICK, MEAN

machine.ALLITERATION

“Cool California is the placeto go this summer”.

CATCH PHRASESMore difficult but give it a go.

“Big enough to make a differencebut small enough to care”.

USE COMMANDS“Act now to save our

planet”.

HARD EVIDENCE

Use stats and datato strengthen and justify your claims.

“99% of peopletell us …”

ARE YOUR ADJECTIVESSTRONG?

“The view was Outstanding”.

ARE YOUR VERBSSTRONG?

“We demand action”.

SENSESAppeal to as many aspossible: taste, smelltouch look + sound.

TALK DIRECTLY TO THE READER

“Have you seen, heard …”

Write to ARGUE, PERSUADE + ADVISE

WRITING MATS

ThinkTankLink to some suggested

activities

• 20 Tips For Enhancing English Functional Skills

ThinkTankFormal and Informal

Speaking and Listening

Discussion – spoken exchange of information, ideas or opinions between two or more people in a formal or informal context.

Extent of contribution and depth of thinking that informs their attainment.

Includes discussion of personal perspectives and topics beyond their own immediate experience.

Responding appropriately in a range of contexts (informal and formal).

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IDEAS

• Speed dating – each person has a character card; one minute to get to know another character in the room, then carousel.

• Forum Theatre – Two people discuss a topic in front of the class (or in the middle of a circle of students) and the observers can stop and change the direction/language of the debate.

• Focussed Listening – allocate specific roles that require them to identify an element of language or speech, e.g. persuasive language used, positive / negative arguments, emotion etc.

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IDEAS

• Taking on a role – allocating specific roles within a given scenario (i.e. context)

• The Situation Room – an imaginary or actual disaster (e.g. earthquake) or goal (e.g. pitch for the World Cup), students work in small groups to investigate and discuss specific element of the situation.

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SPEED DATING!

• You have a card and a piece of paper

• You have 3 minutes to date everyone in your group to find out their name without directly asking for it!

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Narrating a film?

• Volunteer? Or else we’ll need to pressgang someone to be our victim…

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Classic Football Moment

ThinkTankSome examples of

practical applications

Art – Is the Turner prize really about art? PresentationBusiness Studies – Job interviewDT – Dragons’ Den pitchesDrama – Role-play Paxman interview on NewsnightHums – Trial of Cromwell (History), Campaign speech (Citizenship), Pitch to acquire area National Park status (Geography), debate abortion (RE)ICT – PowerPoint presentation Maths – Price a kitchen and present design to customer explaining costsMFL – role-play meeting with foreign exchange partner’s parentsMusic – The Beatles or the Stones (debate)?PE – Pitch for World CupScience – Debate on evolution / creationism

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Reading

The key thing is for pupils to:

read as much as they can in as many different formats as they can.

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InstructionsInformation

Description

Narrative

Persuasive Explanatory

Reports

Varieties of texts

•To paraphrase•To research•To summarise•To actively respond to different texts•To detect points of view and bias•To locate key pieces of information

Skills

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An alternative to note taking

This method is very effective in making note taking active, aiding memory retention and incorporating multiple learning styles.

This is great for giving theoretical notes on endless amounts of photocopies which you cannot guarantee students will have read and digested. Only 5% of content is remembered the old way compared to 87% of content this way!

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ThinkTankExemplar Exam Materials: English Level 1

ThinkTankExemplar Exam Materials: English

Level 1

ThinkTankExemplar Exam Materials: English

Level 2

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Functional English

Functional Maths

Functional ICT

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Support for sowing the seeds of Functional Skills