| Compact news and updates Learning
to learn in Tonypandy
Congratualtions to the MFL department at Tonypandy Community
College, who have seen their take-up rise by a pleasing 16.36%.
Their Compact project has focused on ‘learning to learn’
and developing pupils’ independent learning skills across
Key Stage 3.
Pupils carried out Internet research in French. Activities which
involved scanning for and predicting information in reading texts
proved enjoyable and motivating for pupils.
The project will develop in its second year by embedding these
activities into schemes of whork, whilst making the ‘learning
to learn’ activities more ICT-based to meet the new orders
for ICT in the national curriculum.
Dictionary Skills take off in Tryfan
The languages department in Ysgol Tryfan
wanted pupils to be more independant and to feel more confident
in their language learning. Sets of new dictionaries were purchsed
which now live permanently on pupils’ desks. Whole lessons
in years 7,8,9 and 12 were spent developing dictionary skills.
“Pupils have really enjoyed using the dictionaries and their
skills have improved considerably. The majority of pupils now understand
when and how (not) to use a dictionary,” writes Sandrine Williams,
head of MFL. “Year 8 especially seem to have benefitted. They
show more confidence and write longer passages adapting the language
learned and adding to it, showing creativity. They will naturally
go and look for new words without relying on the teacher. Most of
them now have their own dictionary at home. They say that they are
feeling more confident now and are enjoying being able to work (write
especially) more freely and independently.”
Work didn’t stop there in Ysgol Tryfan.
Schemes of work were modified to reduce the content and to focus
much more on skills, including focusing on sound-spelling links
– developing “the listening eye and seeing ear”.
Displays were changed to help with skills rather than content. The
departemtn produced small posters which were stuck on tables, giving
advice on how to improve listening, speaking, reading, writing and
learning vocabulary. Pupils enjoyed using the interactive whiteboard
and mini whiteboards for these activities and seem better able to
analyse what they learn and how they learn. Sandrine reports that
reducing the content “leaves time to work in depth and both
pupils and teachers feel happier. [Pupils are] more willing to try
and experiment with the language without the fear of making mistakes.
More pupils reached level 7 this year at the end of year 9.”
But that’s not all! The department also decided to focus
on assessment for learning. This has also had a marked impact on
pupils’ progress and motivation. Sandrine explains: “Because
we spent less time assessing pupils in the four skills formally
at the end of each module as we used to, we found that we had a
lot more time to actually teach, and the pupils felt less rushed
as well. We therefore feel that we have worked better this year
and that pupils have benefitted from these changes.
“Peer assessment has proved very popular. Pupils have taken
the responsibility very seriously and gainde personally from all
the individual feedback. Year 8 and 9 pupils said that they felt
less stressed this year about being assessed and that they saw it
more as a way to understand where they stand and how to improve.
The individual whiteboards have proved to be excellent tools to
reduce the pressure and provide immediate information”
The department has seen quick rewards for all their hard work,
with take-up in Ysgol Tryfan rising by
6.57% to 31.57% of the cohort for 2008-9.
We are sure that as the project continues to develop, motivation,
attainment and take-up will continue this upward trend, so a huge
pat on the back to Sandrine and her team!
|
