We have been looking at different techniques to promote learning through talking, considering not only the immediate cognitive impact but the potential for dynamic assessment and the development of oracy skills. As part of our drive to develop a PLC focused on research, we are evaluating a series of WALKTHRUs, and examining the impact that their use has on our practice and on our learners. What have you tried? What is working for you in your setting and how have you been able to measure the impact?
Being an HPL Lead - Kirsten Parker
Completion requirements
Kirsten Parker has been teaching in Kent for over 25 years, delivering Design Technology up to A level and International Baccalaureate. She joined St Lawrence College in 2017 as Head of Design Technology, having led departments at Barton Court Grammar School and Dover Girls Grammar School from 2000 and 2012 respectively. In 2019 she became HPL Global Lead Teacher for DT and is currently Assistant Head Academic at St Lawrence College.
The forum will be for those leading HPL in their school, and will be populated by colleagues from around the world who are all in the same boat, just maybe at different stages in their journey. It should therefore be engaging and relevant, so a go-to place to get opinions and tips for developing best practice in your school. It will also be packed with HPL content and expertise on topics to support HPL leads working towards accreditation. It should also be a safe, supportive and kind place, so no judgements or worries about posting anything that might seem trivial or basic.
16 discussions
I was wondering how we are all getting on with using generative Ai in our worlds of work? There is discussion about the benefits and risks for teachers and students, and the possibilities around speeding up admin, creating content, assessment and application for learning are endless. I have been experimenting with a few tools (with mixed results) and started thinking about how Ai and HPL might fit together, considering both teaching and learning. What can we do with generative Ai that is better, or quicker or more than we could have done without it?
As school leaders, we have a clear vision for our schools and a plan to achieve our goals. As HPL school leaders, how can we ensure that our teachers not only buy in to the philosophy and deliver it in lessons, but actively contribute to its development? How can our staff body add up to more than the sum of it's parts?
this time, Mark has posed us a question. He says
"During my time leading my school through World Class School Accreditation, the first full school action we developed was to change our behaviour policy. The school was an inner-city UK state primary school. The catchment was very diverse, and many pupils came to school with challenging backgrounds. Traditional behaviour strategies were not working for a small percentage of pupils but these pupils’ behaviour impacted on whole year groups or phases. We looked at changing our behaviour policy with the HPL VAAs at its heart. Instead of being dictatorial with looked at behaviour as being aspirational. For pupils to develop the behaviours that they needed to be high performers and confident learners. Coupled with this was the essential understanding of our pupils both at a school level and individual level for classes.
Have you used HPL to shape behaviour in your school? How did you do it? What worked well that you can share?”
In today’s world of social media and technical communications with have unprecedented opportunities like never before, to contact, communicate with and inform our various stakeholders. Lockdowns have developed in us a new skill set of electronic teaching and communications. Everywhere we see Podcasts from all sectors. The question this week is how is our HPL community using this technology? Are you making Podcasts for parents? Are you posting video content online to support home learning? How is it best used? Share with us your experiences in our subject communities and possibly gets some great ideas shared by others.
As we look at adaptive teaching within an inclusive classroom, could we use the HPL competencies as varied focuses for differentiation? Not differentiation by activity but by the competencies / skills to be focused on.
How have you used HPL to support an adaptive, inclusive classroom?
Prevention is better than cure and in schools where we are actively teaching students to be resilient and to persevere, we are supporting their development of good mental health. How else can the delivery of HPL be used to support mental wellness?
HPL encourages the development of a range of skills and attributes in students to support them as life-long learners. How does this correlate with excellent behaviour for learning and are there any tricks we might be missing?
When planning learning, we can often divide progress up into key stages, year groups and scheme of work. HPL can be incorporated into these plans, or added to them after, but what is the overview? What does a years' worth of learning look like? How can we plan for our students' progression through GCSE by considering what we are delivering in KS3? What is the vision?
During HPL Pathway Programmes we look to embed the HPL VAA and ACP vocabulary into our classrooms giving our students, teachers and parents a shared language to talk to and about learning. After accreditation we look to address progression and assessment for the VAAs and ACPs. How do we do this in our schools? How do we do this within subjects? Should this be teacher led assessment of pupil self-evaluation?
Many of us have been exploring the use of AI to generate resources for teaching that might otherwise have taken up valuable planning time. Topic specific quiz questions for use as lesson starters, writing scaffolds for students and example responses to exam questions are popular applications. Using AI means that we can do more. But what about the pupils? How can they make use of AI to learn? Is it even possible?
Alongside our Teaching and Learning Group for colleagues, at St Lawrence College we have a Pupil Voice Group where students have a chance to talk about learning, The group has generated ideas which have had a genuine impact on our practice, by encouraging us to review and develop particular areas of learning, including some of the HPL skills and attributes. What has worked well is presenting group members with an enquiry task at the end of each meeting and then discussing the findings in the next meeting. If this group was set up in your school, what enquiry task would you set your pupils to work on?
In all schools, there is an HPL champion or two, either officially appointed or through reputation. But how can we share best practice with colleagues in other subjects? How best to inspire those who think HPL wont work in their subject? How can we ensure the focus is on quality?
Does anyone have any thoughts about how best to approach the development of a research culture in their school? It often seems that it is left to those completing a qualification and perhaps why it is so beneficial to have an ECT or two in the school. Their knowledge is sometimes based on the most current research. Some argue that we can't all make the time to complete useful research and certainly time is an issue. So what to do.......?
Each year as we have moved through the HPL process, through accreditation and then re-accreditation, it has become more of a challenge to induct new staff. This year, it has felt as if we have so much to go through and to explain, not just the concept but where we are as a school. Our expectations have changed and we are keen to share these in a manageable way. But how? We are running an induction day at the start of the autumn term, and then six weekly sessions which will be devoted to teaching and learning. We also insist new starters join the Teaching and Learning Group. But how best to break down the information? Im planning on starting where I always do, "What does your ideal student look like? What do they do?" but there are a number of options for the next steps. How have you approached this in your school?
Over the years as a Mathematics teacher, I had the mind that Mathematics is not really for every students as some tend to have a natural love for the subject while some tend to have phobia for it. When I came across HPL, my orientation changed, all students can actually be high performer learner. With the use of differentiated lesson and task, all types of students with different learning styles can be cared for without affecting anyone or slowing anyone down. Group task is another method that could help develop students that are still finding it hard to understand the topic. The use of Technology platform like Century Tech is another method that could develop their self-paced learning, analysing skill, realizing skill , meta-thinking skill . All students can actually be a good Mathematics student if HPL skills are effectively in teaching