VIEWS & OPINION Effective talk in the classroom
Comment by CAROLINE KELLY, KS2 Leader and Year 6 Teacher
In recent years there has been lots of emphasis on development of vocabulary and the greater use of talk within lessons for children beyond the Early Years and KS1, and it is widely recognised that explanation and reasoning underpins understanding. The Shanghai approach to teaching Maths places huge significance on questioning and exploring through discussion and of course, Pie Corbett has been promoting collaborative working through the use of dialogue for many years with his ‘Talk4writing’ scheme. However, there is naturally lots of fear around giving older children the freedom to talk during lessons. During observations,
teachers are judged on ‘classroom
management’ and a common misconception is that every child must have their eager eyes transfixed on the adult at the front, before approaching their own work with quiet confidence and determination, for the room to be considered ‘managed’. There can also be the fear that, in giving students a greater voice, this will diminish the voice of the teacher and thus their impact. But we know that classroom talk can be effective, so it is simply a
question of how? Well, children how to use their voice in a constructive way. This starts by showing them how ineffective talking can sometimes be. Children have a habit of talking over each other; of competing for the air time. Others simply don’t compete and sit in the background, never having their voice heard. Neither of these situations are ideal. A really powerful way of demonstrating this is by posing a question to the class and filming their responses. Then, play it back to them and pose another question: do you think it went well? It is during this discussion that the critical teaching comes into play. Stop the discussion repeatedly to remind them not to make the same mistakes again; model how to listen and respond to the person speaking and place emphasis on the minutiae of conversation. The next phase would be about planning opportunities for whole-
class discussion by creating ‘talk threads’: open-ended questions or general statements that will arouse discussion. Still in the role of the teacher, keep stopping the children when they interrupt each other - model how to wait and respond; how to invite others to participate. You will notice positive change, really quickly and you can start to move into the facilitator role before eventually becoming an equal participant. The goal is for everybody in the room to be able to speak freely and confidently with discipline and respect for each other. As teachers, we want every child to have a platform to ask questions,
to explore and discuss what they think and feel. And when given the right opportunities, in the right way, they all do. Even the ones you least expect. Organised talk in the classroom has so many benefits in the moment and many more away from it. The Education Endowment Foundation (2017) ‘Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2,’ makes the link between oracy and greater outcomes in reading and writing, both of which feature heavily in school improvement plans. ‘A dialogic teaching companion’ (2020) by Robin Alexander explains the social and emotional impact that comes with giving children a voice and the chance to work collaboratively. With all this is mind, has there ever been a better time to introduce this approach in your classroom?
Embracing the opportunity of blended learning
Comment by MICHAEL WILKINSON, Head of ClickView UK
While the forced shift to remote learning created many challenges, opportunities have also emerged. What became apparent was that our education system wasn’t digitally robust, meaning that when classrooms closed there was no fail-safe route map to safeguard schooling.
Expanding online learning platforms and getting a better understanding of the key differences between physical and online teaching practices, so that teachers can be better equipped to confidently teach online, is of paramount importance and something that cannot be overlooked.
We live in a digital world, the way we consume news and media has changed dramatically over the past decade, with online streaming services and subscriptions now being part of the norm. According to the latest Ofcom Media Nations report, changing behaviour during the pandemic appears to have accelerated the growth in viewing of online video.
This rise in consumption of online video and its effectiveness to engage audiences highlights its importance as a powerful and important tool, which can no longer be overlooked in an education setting.
Amy Hollier (Head of Blended Learning, Heart of Worcestershire College and the Blended Learning Consortium) agrees that now is the time to embrace the opportunity of blended learning.
“The rapid switch to remote teaching meant educators had to rip up their best laid plans and within days move their practice to an online environment. There has been a paradigm shift in teaching and learning, and Bob Harrison - as one of the pioneers of education technology - has stated many times during this pandemic, the genie is out of the bottle, let’s make sure it doesn’t go back in. The digital skills that both staff and students have developed over this time has been the most valuable CPD we could have ever wished for.
“If we embrace the opportunity to harness the power of blended learning, we can better support learners on a trajectory of 21st century skill development through improved digital literacy skills, enhanced independent learning, problem solving capabilities, cloud-based computing and digital employability skills.
“The focus should now be on creating a robust, sustainable blended learning model that is well sequenced with face to face delivery and online activity appropriately aligned and easily flexed between the two modalities.”
High quality blended learning should offer: • The opportunity for learners to demonstrate and apply learning
• The opportunity for learners to collaborate online through meaningful activities
• Regular feedback - crucial to maintain engagement and to gauge learner progression
• Opportunity for regular knowledge checks – online activities should be interactive rather than passive
• High quality learning resources that are current, relevant, aligned to the curriculum and well produced • A range of multimedia formats – video being a powerful tool
• Key aspects of face to face teaching should be reflected online in both synchronous and asynchronous formats – include introduction, outline objectives of the session, regular knowledge checks, feedback and a plenary
• Face to face time should be used to unpick what additional support learners require and scaffold online learning episodes accordingly
• A space online for informal communities for peer support October 2020
www.education-today.co.uk 21
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