Methods to Orientate your Learners (Section 1)

• “I’ll take Kiev in two weeks”

• Russian bear image

• Who, why, when and what does this quote relate to and what does it suggest will happen in the future?

Context

• If you don’t establish the context …..

• don’t be surprised if the outcome is completely wrong.

So then, what are Advance Organisers?

• Information cannot exist in a vacuum, “Advance Organisers” essentially provide the “context” in which learning can take place…

• Context is “the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed”.

• They are essentially the “Big Picture” or the “Overview”.

• Context provides the link between the activation of prior learning to the knowledge still to come…….no link = no memories

Yet ……the traditional approach to teaching is…

• Set an objective

• Teach the new material

• See if it “went in” at the end

So!!!......... who wants Advance Organisers?

Plan Regularity • Typicality Organisation

• Objectives Communicate

• Feedback Motivate

• Clarity Or

The How• Work with the learners…guide and allow

them to scaffold

• Use a double page spread

• The core subject centralised

• Key topics, principles and relations to surround core

• Allow room for growth and development (Fluid)

An Advance Organiser

• An example of an Advance Organiser

Activity • The brain works through

chemical transmission – you must create the links.

• Work with someone from your team to create an Advance Organiser for a unit / module you are familiar with.

When and how……ideas for application• Create at the start of a unit/module• Revisit at the start/end of a session to emphasise the “journey”• Revisit at the start of a new theme/topic• Encourage learners to be creative and visual• Link to VLE and flipped learning• Link to your engaging start - see teacher toolkit or www.triptico.co.uk• Use Padlet to create an electronic version that can be regularly returned to• Return to the organiser periodically – cover sections up, use clues, flip board, link to

assignments and goals, ensure typicality • Link to a continuum line• Create a memory board (Pinterest)

Initially we stated that the traditional approach to teaching is…

• Set an objective• Teach the new material• See if it “went in” at the end

• How would you set up your sessions now? (Week 1 and Week 2)

Summary• Advance organisers are essential when the new learning

material is unfamiliar • They relate what the learner already knows with the new and

unfamiliar material• This in turn is aimed to make the unfamiliar material more

plausible to the learner• They provide the pegs on which to hang the new

learning…….use them!